


The Sound of Silence

by Nekoamamori



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-03-07 23:45:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 47
Words: 89,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13445955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nekoamamori/pseuds/Nekoamamori
Summary: A mute Enhanced and Loki both move in to the Avengers tower on the same day.





	1. Chapter 1

    You spent the entire trip from the helicarrier to the Avengers tower wondering yet again how you’d gotten into this situation. You’d been shoved into the back of the SHIELD SUV. That wasn’t unusual, nor was the fact that your hands were shackled in front of you and you were gagged. What was unusual was the slim raven-haired man who was already in the backseat of the SUV, bound and gagged in the same manner you were.

    “Sorry, Y/N. We have to keep up appearances for SHIELD until we get to the tower,” the man called ‘Agent Barton’ said from the driver’s seat as the SUV started driving to wherever they were taking you. You just stared out the window in the same hopeless stupor you’d lived in for the past year.

    *

    You hadn’t chosen any of the events that led to you being in the SUV. Or that had led to you spending what should have been your sophomore year of high school in an underwater prison. You hadn’t even _done_ anything. You were minding your own business when some government agency decided they were rounding up Enhanced and shoving them in an underwater prison.

    SHIELD, the Avengers, and someone named Professor Xavier had found out what they had done and rescued all the kids who had been wrongfully imprisoned. All of the kids went to the Professor except for you.

    The other kids weren’t hopeless cases.

    *

    The trip to the tower wasn’t long. The SUV pulled into an underground garage when you arrived at the tower. You broke out of your stupor when your car door opened. A woman with long red hair had opened the door. “Y/N,” she greeted you softly with a gentle smile and...kindness in her eyes. “I’m Natasha Romanov. Don’t worry, you’re safe now,” she said gently as she unlocked your bonds. She stepped back from the SUV so you could get out. “Let me show you around your new home, ok?”

    [ok] you automatically signed back in ASL, but cringed away, expecting a shock or worse for your misstep. Instead she smiled gently, reassuringly.

    “I sign too,” she said, signing along with her words. “So does Clint, the guy who drove. It’s ok, Y/N. This isn’t a prison. We’re not going to hurt you. This is your home now,” she reminded you as she led you inside. She gave you a tour of the tower, at least of the rooms you’d be interested in, kitchen, living room, dining room, the library, and finally your room. “If you’re not up to joining us for dinner, I’ll make sure someone brings you something to eat. I’ll take you out to get clothes tomorrow. There’s a few things in there, but I had to guess on the sizes.” Anything would be better than the prison uniform that you were currently wearing. “I have to go help the others with the new guy. Are you going to be ok on your own for a little while?” she asked. You nodded in reply. She didn’t look convinced, but left you so she could go deal with the raven-haired man. You wondered what he’d done to deserve the treatment.

    You slipped into your new room. It was a simple room with not much more than a bed, desk and dresser, but it was much better than the prison cell where you’d lived your last year. You found that you had your own bathroom and wasted absolutely no time jumping into the shower to get clean. You stayed in the shower far too long, but it was the first time you were properly clean in more than a year.

    You dressed in the too big jeans, t-shirt, and an oversized hoodie that had been left for you. Natasha was right, there weren’t many clothes here to choose from, but she said you’d get more tomorrow. You were tempted to hide in your room, but you’d spent the last year not leaving a single room, and you couldn’t stand the thought of one more day of the treatment. So you braved the downstairs, remembering the way to the living room, from where you’d be able to find the kitchen and food. There were a bunch of people there already. You hugged yourself, afraid, and nearly stepped back out of the room when you were spotted.

    “Hey, Y/N. We weren’t expecting to see you tonight. Join us. Tony bought pizza,” Clint bid you gently. You took a couple hesitant steps into the room. One of the big comfy chairs was open, so you settled there shyly, warily, and grabbed some pizza from the box on the table. Introductions around the room were made. You even hesitantly signed out your name for them, which Clint translated for you. The chatter in the room continued and you devoured the pizza, savoring the taste you hadn’t experience in over a year.

    You enjoyed the companionship of others. It was such a strange experience after what you’d been through, but was definitely something you’d missed.

    *

    You spent the next day shopping with Natasha. You were skittish and jumpy, and you were sure your actions were annoying her, but she seemed to understand. You’d been shocked at the prison for daring to move some days. It was no wonder you were jumpy. The prison guards had been terrified of you. You really were a hopeless case.

    You ended up with an entire wardrobe and a few decorations for your room. Natasha had insisted on the latter. You would’ve been fine with some clothes that fit. You still cuddled the little stuffed bear she’d picked out the entire way home. She gave you a real smile, seemingly pleased that you were acting like a normal teenage girl for once.

    “What the hell all did you buy?” Tony demanded when he had to help you and Natasha carry the bags up to your room. You cringed back from his anger and Natasha glared at him.

    “Can it, Stark,” she snapped.

    He softened immediately. “Sorry, kid,” Tony said gently and carried the bags without complaining. “There better be a dress in here, Romanov. You know we have to have her be seen in public soon, show SHIELD she’s making ‘progress’,”

    “She can be seen in public in jeans,” Natasha replied, rolling her eyes. “She’s a teenager, that’s what they wear. But there are dresses too,” The three of you made your way up to your room and all of the bags were dumped on your bed. You spent the afternoon putting your new clothes away and changed into something that fit, and was actually flattering.

    “Y/N!” Natasha called as you left your entered the living room with the book you had stolen from the library. You’d come down to find dinner, but found the entire group in their uniforms instead. You’d done some research that afternoon on the laptop in your room about who your new housemates were. You’d been tempted to sign back in to your social media accounts, but weren’t quite up to facing the interrogation from your friends about where you’d been. “I hate to ask, but we need a favor...”

    [what favor?] you signed quickly. She’d been nice to you all day and you liked her. You could at least hear her favor out.

    She indicated the sullen looking raven-haired man who had shared the back of the SUV with you. He was unchained now too and was sitting on one of the couches pointedly ignoring everyone while he read a book. “We have to go out on a mission. Can you baby-sit him? I know, it’s a lot to ask. He’s supposed to be reformed. It’s a long story. You don’t have to do anything, just push this button if he causes any trouble.” Natasha handed you a remote.

    “Or tries to take over the Earth again,” Tony grumbled. You hoped he was joking about that, but nodded.

    “Thanks. Tony ordered Chinese for dinner. It should be here soon. It’s already paid for and the deliveryman will meet you at the elevator on this floor,” Natasha added. You nodded again and the team headed off for their mission. You settled on a couch on the other side of the room from the raven-haired man. He didn’t look up at you as you came in. You set the remote on the table, having no intention of using it no matter what the man did, and curled up under a blanket with your book.

    He finally looked up when you made no effort to try to talk to him. He looked over at you curiously, but didn’t say anything and returned to his own book. “Miss Y/N, the Chinese is here,” Jarvis’ AI voice announced. Natasha had warned you about the AI throughout the tower. She hadn’t told you how to answer him, since you couldn’t speak, but that was a problem for another time. You uncurled yourself from the couch and went to answer the elevator. You noticed the raven-haired man was watching your actions. The deliveryman handed you the overflowing bags of food when you signed the delivery slip for him. You carried the bags to the dining room table and started getting the assorted containers out of the bags. You found something that looked edible and returned to the couch with the takeout container and a pair of chopsticks. The man was back to pointedly ignoring you, which was fine. You ate your dinner in silence and returned to your book.

    It seemed like hours later when he snapped his book shut and looked over at you curiously. “We both know why I am here and why I was in chains on the trip. What is your story?” You didn’t actually know who he was or why he’d been in chains. You had been imprisoned during the events of New York and hadn’t looked them up yet. You set your book aside slowly and looked at him, trying to decide exactly how much to tell him. You started signing quickly, your fingers moving in practiced movements, but he cut you off equally quickly with a frown and a glare. “What are you doing?” he demanded in an icy voice.

    You looked at him shocked, stopping your explanation at the sudden change in his demeanor. You were answering his question. [My name is-] you started signing again, much more slowly, assuming you had been speaking too fast. That just infuriated him even more.

    He was up off of his couch yelling. You scrambled off of your couch, flinching from his rage. He was in front of you, towering over you an instant later. “You _dare_? You dare mock the prince of Asgard, you stupid pathetic mortal?” he demanded in a snarling icy anger. “You dare to make fun of me?” You took a couple steps back until your back hit the wall, raising your arms in front of your face to fend off the attack you were sure was coming. “ANSWER ME!” he roared, his words and tone drawing tears from your eyes.

    “LOKI, STOP!” Thor’s voice boomed across the living room. A moment later, Loki, who was apparently the raven-haired man, was pulled from in front of you. Thor stepped beside you and pulled you into his arms. He was so warm and safe. “What do you think you’re doing, brother? Yelling at a mute child for not speaking? Yelling at someone who was tortured in a prison for the last year. Shame on you, Loki,” Loki looked ashamed, then, horrified by his actions.

    “I did not-” he started, but Thor cut him off.

    “Lady, what did he do?” Thor asked you softly, gently. You raised your hands to answer. “Slowly, please. I have only begun to learn.” You carefully signed a quick explanation that Loki had asked for your story and was upset when you tried to sign your answer. You added quickly that you were sorry for upsetting him and didn’t know he couldn’t sign. Loki was watching in fascination. “Lady Y/N can speak with her hands since she cannot with her voice,” Thor explained to him. “She is also giving you way more credit than you deserve, brother and apologized for upsetting you,” that seemed to shame Loki even more. He opened his mouth to speak, but Thor spoke over him. “Let me escort you to your chambers, Y/N. I believe you have had enough excitement for one evening.”

    You didn’t even get a chance to answer before Thor was leading you back to the elevator and your room. “I apologize for my idiot brother. He seems to have forgotten his manners since he arrived on Earth. Are you alright?” Thor asked. You nodded. Loki had just scared you. He hadn’t hurt you. “I will be here the rest of the night if you need anything and I will keep an eye on my brother. He will not bother you again.” He bowed over your hand and kissed your knuckles when you were safely at your room. You blushed at the old-fashioned gesture and gave him a small smile.

    When you entered your room you saw the book you had been reading downstairs was now sitting on your bed. There was a note on top written in an elegant script.

     _Y/N,_

     _My deepest apologies for my unseemly behavior this evening. I did not know about your condition, your past, or the existence of sign language. None of these things excuse my actions and I hope you will forgive me._

     _~Loki_

    You smiled and set the note on your desk, though you were curious how he got it in your room, before curling into bed to read in your pajamas until you were ready to actually sleep. There was a soft knock on your bedroom door awhile later. You got to your feet and padded to the door, wondering who would be wanting to see you.

    You cracked the door and saw Loki standing on the other side. You were tempted to slam the door in his face, but he put off the same bruised aura that matched yours, so you gave him a chance. You opened the door wider and gave him a small nod of greeting, your expression wary and guarded. He was looking extremely sheepish and was holding a plate with a piece of chocolate cake in his hands. “I had no right to treat you as I did earlier. I have no excuse for my behavior,” he finally said. “I hope you will accept my apology and not hold it against me.” He offered you the piece of cake. You smiled as you accepted it. You hadn’t had chocolate or cake in over a year. “Perhaps we can exchange the sad tales of our lives?” he asked softly. You finally figured out his interest in you. He must’ve seen you as a kindred spirit. You held up a finger, ducked back in your room, set the cake on your desk and rummaged through the drawers until you pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. You went back to Loki who was still standing at your doorway. He wouldn’t come in without an express invitation.

     _Apology accepted. Sad tales tomorrow?_ you wrote on the paper and showed it to him. It was late tonight and you needed sleep.

    He nodded. “Very well, Lady Y/N.” You flushed again when he took your hand to kiss your knuckles as well. When Thor had done it, it seemed like simple courtesy. It seemed much more romantic when Loki did the exact same thing. You told yourself that it was just because the tall, dark, handsome man just held the air of romance around him. “Thank you for accepting my apology,” he added before he left you to return to his own room. You closed your bedroom door behind him and went happily to your chocolate cake. It was the most delicious thing you thought you had ever eaten.


	2. Chapter 2

    You made sure to take your laptop, a pad of paper, and a pen with you when you left your room the next morning. You were intending on typing your ‘sad tale’ for Loki. You typed faster and more legibly than you hand wrote answers, and he couldn’t have learned how to sign over the last 8ish hours. The paper and pen would be useful for shorter answers.

    He wasn’t in the living room when you made it to that floor of the tower. You left your laptop on one of the couches and continued on to the kitchen to see what you could do about breakfast. You hesitated for a moment when you saw Loki in the kitchen, especially when he was cursing, creatively, and not in English at the pan on the stove in front of him. You took a couple of hesitant steps into the room to see what the problem was. The pan on the stove in front of him was on fire. He was staring at it dumbly, obviously unsure how to fix the situation.

    You rushed over to him, pushed him aside gently, grabbed the pan using your hoodie sleeve as a pot holder, and dumped the whole mess in the sink. You started the water to extinguish the flames. You looked over at the fascinatedly startled Loki and raised your eyebrow, questioning what had happened. He was clearly impressed with your efficient dealing with the problem of the flaming pan. “Apparently eggs are flammable,” he commented dryly. You snorted in amusement, not brave enough to risk an actual laugh. He gave you a smile in return.

    You rummaged through the cabinets to find new pans and started making a new breakfast. Loki watched in fascination. You slowly demonstrated how to properly crack an egg, which interested him so much you were worried how much egg shell had been in the original egg pan. You split the eggs and sausages between two plates and handed one to him when they were done. “Thank you,” he said softly.

    You nodded and thought he deserved a little teasing. Something about him said that it would be safe and he might even appreciate it, despite his outburst last night. So you wrote clearly on the pad of paper _You have to do the dishes._ You stuck your tongue out at him as he read the note. He started to protest. You jabbed your finger at the words on the page.

    “Fine,” he huffed, rolling his eyes. “You know, you’re awfully bossy for someone who cannot speak,” he grumbled as you two walked to the dining room. His tone was joking, but his words still caused you to unconsciously stiffen. “Gods, love, I’m teasing,” you waved at him with a smile, trying to reassure him you were ok. “I never thought I would ever come across someone whose soul is more bruised than mine,” he commented so softly that you could pretend you hadn’t heard him.

    You picked out a chair at the dining room table and set your plate down in front of it. You went to move the chair back from the table so you could sit in it, but Loki was already there, pulling the chair out. You looked away from him and went to move your plate to another place at the table, assuming he wanted to sit there. He rolled his eyes and gave you an overly-patient smile. He was obviously amused. “No, love, I pull out the chair, you sit in it, I push it in again. It is called ‘courtesy’,” he teased with a grin. You blushed when you finally understood what he had been doing, and his expression became more amused when he saw how red you’d turned. He pulled the chair out and gestured toward it. You obediently, though timidly, sat in the chair.

    After enjoying the meal in companionable silence, besides his compliment on your cooking, you sat on the counter next to where Loki was washing the dishes, swinging your legs adorably with you laptop open on your lap. “Aren’t you hot wearing long sleeves? It is nearly summer,” he asked. You shrugged. It was warm, but you were going to stubbornly avoid bearing your arms for as long as possible. He gave you a look that he didn’t quite accept your shrug as an answer, but didn’t press for a better one.

    “Y/N, is Reindeer Games bothering you?” Tony asked as he came in to grab some coffee. He glared at Loki, but Loki was up to his elbows in dishwater, scrubbing the pan he’d set on fire.

    [Reindeer?] you signed, confused.

    Tony rolled his eyes and gestured to Loki “Him,”

    You shook your head [I’m bothering him]. You signed quickly.

    Tony didn’t look convinced, but let you be since neither of you were hurting anything. “Push the damn button if he does anything stupid again,” Tony grumbled as he left the room with his coffee. You rolled your eyes. You weren’t going to push the damn button regardless of what he did. Besides, you didn’t know what the button did. You were the last person to use an unknown torture device on someone.

    “Stark thinks it is amusing to make fun of my ceremonial helmet,” Loki explained sourly when Tony was gone. He was scrubbing hard at the burnt egg on the pan and you couldn’t quite tell if his glare was about Tony or the pan.

    You tapped Loki’s shoulder and showed him your laptop screen which now read _What helmet?_

    His expression softened when he looked at you and gave you a small smile. “This one,” he replied, his smile changing to a smirk. With a shimmer of green light, a golden horned helmet appeared on his head. You grinned in delight at seeing magic up close and personal. You reached out a hand in awe to touch the helmet, but hesitated. He laughed and tilted his head so you could more easily reach. “Curious little kitten,” he commented, amused, not malicious or annoyed. You touched the helmet, more impressed that it was real and not an illusion. “Yes, it’s real,” he laughed, seeming happy with your joy.

     _Sorry, I’ve never seen magic before_ you typed quickly and showed him the screen. You assumed you were annoying him.

    “No reason to be sorry. I don’t mind demonstrating,” he replied. The helmet disappeared from his head and he went back to his task. You went back to typing up your life story for him. You were being careful to selectively edit what you shared.

    You looked up when Thor came in to the room. “Y/N?” he asked. You gave him a smile and waved in greeting. He just stared at Loki doing dishes. “How did you get my brother to do chores?”

    You smirked [I made breakfast] you signed to Thor, slowly since he said that he was just learning how to sign. [So he had to do the dishes]

    “It was only fair,” Loki replied after Thor had translated your words.

    “He is behaving himself, then?” Thor asked you, concerned after Loki’s actions last night.

    [Yes. He came and apologized last night. He’s been good company this morning]

    Thor didn’t bother translating that, just nodded. “I have work to do downstairs with Stark. Be nice to your new friend, brother. She is mean if you get her angry.” Thor was teasing, but the threat to his brother was real. He’d be upset if Loki was mean to you. You didn’t think Loki would be mean again. He seemed too fascinated by you and he’d felt really bad about last night. He seemed to be walking on eggshells to make sure he didn’t startle you again.

    “I will keep that under advisement,” Loki grumbled. Thor left, and Loki finally gave up and used magic on the stubborn pan.

    You snorted in amusement again and typed out a single word: _Cheater._ He laughed in reply.

    “Maybe so, but I have better things to do with my day than scrub a dish,” he replied. You raised an eyebrow in reply. “You owe me a tale,” he reminded you. He used magic to put all of the dishes away and you watched in amazement as they all vanished.

    Once they were away, you nodded and hopped down from the counter to walk with him to the living room. You curled up on one end of the comfiest looking couch. He settled himself on the other end of the couch. You gestured for him to go first. He’d promised you his story too. He hesitated, you could see the curiosity eating him alive, but he finally nodded and began telling you his story, living in Thor’s shadow, finding out he was a frost giant, falling into the abyss off of the Bifrost, torture at the hands of someone named Thanos, the attack on New York under the mind control of the same Thanos, and his punishment on Earth helping the Avengers.

    When he was done speaking, you looked over the word document you’d been working on, then set your laptop on the couch between you and hit play on a nifty little program that had been installed on the laptop. It would read whatever was given to it aloud. You signed along to the words the laptop spoke. Loki watched your hands, fascinated by the sign language.

    [My powers manifested when I was 10. That’s when I lost my ability to speak] You didn’t specify what your powers were; that wasn’t part of this conversation. [Besides not having a voice, I was a fairly normal high school student until about a year ago. A government agency decided they were going to round up all of the Enhanced, those with powers, and lock us in prison. I don’t know how they found out about me. I never used my powers after they first manifested, but they did. I was ripped from my bed in the middle of the night and taken to an underwater prison in the middle of the sea. I was held there for a year. I think. Time was so hard to keep track of. They tortured us. Those of us with powers wore shock collars constantly and they would zap us for the smallest offense.] You couldn’t help shuddering, remembering the horror and terror of those damn collars, of the fear of the days when moving would get you shocked and if you dared open your mouth the shocks wouldn’t stop for what felt like hours. [SHIELD, the Avengers and some school for Enchanted kids found out about the imprisonment and came to put a stop to it. A professor who deals with Enhanced kids came to the prison and took all of the kids, except me. I got sent here instead. I was in chains in the SUV because I’m too dangerous, my powers uncontrollable. They didn’t want to let me out of the prison at all, even with SHIELD, the Avengers, the Professor, and others fighting to free all of us who had been imprisoned unjustly]

    He stopped watching your hands in fascination and instead just looked shocked and horrified by your story. “They used shock collars on you?” he finally asked, finding some words through the horror. You nodded and pulled down the collar of your hoodie, holding your hair aside so he could see the burns that were still there and fresh. You quickly let your hair fall back into place. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea humans were so cruel,” he added softly, angrily. You touched his arm softly. It wouldn’t do any good for him to get angry.

    He opened his arms, silently offering you a hug. You hesitated a moment, but his soul was bruised too, you could recognize him as a kindred spirit. He was offering comfort in the only way he could. So you moved hesitantly across the couch and curled into his arms, accepting the comfort from someone who knew what you’d been through.


	3. Chapter 3

    You spent most of the rest of the day teaching Loki signs, especially for things he would find interesting or useful. ‘Book’, ‘Loki’, and ‘idiot brother’ were among the highlights. He showed you small pieces of magic in exchange. You felt you were getting the better deal here, but he didn’t seem to mind. The Avengers kept floating through the room, checking on the two of you, especially since you were both on house arrest according to SHIELD’s official reports. They also kept apologizing to you for leaving you with no company besides Loki, but they were all busy. You reassured them multiple times that it was fine and he was good company. They didn’t believe you, but you and Loki were both out of trouble, so they accepted the answer.

    You were delighted with each illusion and bit of magic he showed you and he spent all day trying to outdo each one with something better the next time. He seemed pleased each time he earned a delighted grin from you.

    You actually giggled in delight when he shapeshifted to have cat ears on top of his head. It was _so_ adorable. You realized an instant too late what you had done and clapped your hands over your mouth, eyes wide in horror. His grin evaporated in an instant when he saw your sudden change in expression. The cat ears on his head drooped as his expression turned to concern. He held up his hands, showing he was unarmed. “Love? It’s alright.” His voice was soft, gentle. “Everything’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you. You’re safe here with me,” he reminded you, softly, soothing. You slowly lowered your hands from your mouth, though you still looked him over, worried. “Is it the ears?” he asked gently once your hands were back in your lap. You shook your head. “Tell me, darling, please. I want to help, but I can’t help unless I know what scared you,”

    Your fingers flew through your answer frantically [Areyouok?You’renothurtareyou?I’m _so_ sorry.Pleasetellmeyou’reok!]

    He gave you a small, warm smile and he cat ears perked back up in amusement. “Alright, love,” he said so gently and patiently. There was just a hint of teasing in his next words. The teasing actually helped. He was ok if he could tease. “That’s progress from the terrified horror-struck expression, but darling, I can’t understand you. You’re talking too fast,” he reminded you softly. He had only learned so many signs in one afternoon. His tone was amused, though. Not angry. “Take a breath,” he bid you gently. You did, taking one, then another, surprised when he counted them for you, somehow knowing how to soothe a panic attack. “Good, love,” he smiled reassuringly when your breathing had calmed. He handed you the pad of paper and pen. “Try again?” he asked gently. He wouldn’t press, wouldn’t force you to tell him, but he wanted to help.

    You nodded and scribbled quickly: _Are you ok? You’re not hurt?_ Your words were shaky, but legible. You were still more shaken than you were letting on. It didn’t matter that he had been ok enough to walk you through a panic attack, you were still concerned until he confirmed that he was alright.

    “I’m fine, darling. It will take much more than a giggle from an adorable lady to take me out,” he laughed, finally calming the last of your worry. You sighed in relief. Your concern and relief were so genuine that he put together the story he knew and what you hadn’t said yet. “The dangerous, uncontrollable power you said you have... it is in your voice, correct?”

    You hesitated, looking down at your lap with embarrassed tears in your eyes. You finally gave him a tiny nod.

    “That is nothing to be ashamed of,” he told you softly. You didn’t believe him, and you were more ashamed that you had blundered after years of being so careful. A flash of green magic drew your attention back over to his side of the couch. You looked to see what magic he had used to try to cheer you up with. You weren’t expecting whatever it was to work, until you saw the sleek black cat with bright green eyes sitting in Loki’s spot on the couch.

    [Loki?] you signed, looking over the black cat where there had once been a Loki. The cat nodded in reply. You grinned at it, impressed. He padded over to you and curled himself in your lap, purring when you automatically began to pet him. His purrs soothed the last of your worries away.

    “Y/N? Where did my brother go?” Thor asked as he walked through not long after. In reply you picked up the black cat to show Thor. Loki made an indignant noise when you picked him up. “Ah, of course,” Thor nodded and went on his merry way. Apparently Loki turning into a cat wasn’t terribly surprising.

    Loki must’ve been embarrassed to have been caught as a cat by someone else, since the second you set him back down, he went back to his side of the couch and changed back to his usual handsome human form and quickly went to reading his book. It was a defense mechanism, you realized, to pretend to be disinterested. You let him be, you’d already bothered him all day after all, and curled up on your end of the couch with your own book.

    *

    “Y/N, I hate doing this to you again, but we’re getting called out on an emergency. Will you stay with Loki?” Nat asked that evening. You nodded, though you were curious why he needed someone to stay with him.

    “They do not trust me to not try to take over the Earth again,” Loki explained at your confused expression.

    You typed out a reply on your laptop for him to read: _You said it was mind control._

    He inclined his head. “And yet, I am untrustworthy,”

    “Weren’t you terrified of him yesterday? How’s he your best friend today?” Tony grumbled. You watched, fascinated as his ironman suit assembled around him.

    You shrugged. [Don’t know how it happened] you really weren’t sure why he was interested in you. [He’s a good friend] Tony didn’t bother responding to that and you wondered briefly if he actually knew how to sign.

    “There’s plenty of places that deliver food. Jarvis knows them all, have him order something,” Tony told you. You just looked at him, wondering how you were supposed to do that. He huffed. “Didn’t I tell you? Snap three times in any of the rooms besides the bedrooms to get his attention and he’ll read your signs. Otherwise you can IM him.” You nodded, surprised that the AI was that sophisticated, and that Tony had thought to set it up that way. “Why are we letting the two people on house arrest babysit each other?” Tony asked Nat as they went on their mission.

    “She’s only on house arrest because of a technicality. You know damn well she’s just a kid who ended up in an awful situation. Come on, Thor!” Nat called down the hall. Thor rushed into the room, still in his human clothes, though he held his hammer.

    He raised the hammer above his head. “THOR NO!” Loki shouted. Everyone in the room turned to see what was going on. Thor paused a moment too late. He had summoned some kind of lightning magic to change into his battle armor.

    You yelped in terror and the expectation of pain, only narrowly avoiding shrieking by clamping your jaws shut. It would only be worse if you screamed. You blinked, confused when you realized there was no pain. It took a moment to realize you had somehow wrapped your arms around Loki’s waist when you yelped, huddling in his arms for safety, even though you’d been on the other side of the couch. You flushed, and tried to sit up and push yourself away from him, embarrassed and feeling bad for clutching onto him without invitation. He just pulled you closer and ran his fingers through your hair. 

    The rest of the Avengers were dazed, staring into space, unable to move.

    “Thor, you thundering, moronic oaf!” Loki started rattling off more insults and curses at Thor, but they stopped being in English after the first. His words were angry at Thor, but he held you so gently and carefully, soothingly petting your hair, while you were safe in his arms. “She was tortured with a shock collar. She was _electrocuted_ Thor. For a year.” Loki snarled. The rest of the team had shaken off the stupor from your yelp and looked back at you horrified. They hadn’t realized what you’d been through.

    Loki turned his attention to you. “Are you alright?” he asked softly. You nodded sheepishly. He chuckled. “Try that again when you’re not shaking.” That earned him a small smile.

    [Sorry] you signed at him. That was one of the words you’d taught him today.

    “I don’t mind. I apologize for my idiot brother,” he signed the last two words and you grinned at him, impressed he remembered how to sign them and not just how to read the signs. He let you sit up when he got a real smile out of you.

    Thor was standing in front of you. “My apologies, Lady Y/N. I did not know. I swear it will not happen again.” You nodded and signed an acceptance of his apology. You felt bad for causing the trouble in the first place.

    “We really do have an emergency to get to,” Nat’s voice was apologetic. “Are you two sure you’ll be ok?” she asked. You nodded and shooed them off. Nat assured you that they would help you with your powers once the emergencies settled down. She also said something about a medical exam, but they were running from the tower at that point so you could pretend you heard nothing about that.

    When they were gone, Loki grabbed the throw blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around you. “You’re still shaking,” he told you softly and pulled you into his arms again. You didn’t resist him and started to finally relax when he began to recite a story for you from memory. It was one you’d never heard before and you focused on his story, his words, the pleasing tenor and sound of his accented voice instead of fear and pain.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry Bucky_Loki_Girl! I know I promised you answers about some of her powers this chapter. Next chapter, I swear! Plot and adorableness got in the way!!

    The next couple of weeks passed in fun, friendship, and nearly entirely in Loki’s company. The others kept apologizing, but they were called out on near-constant emergencies. They did keep apologizing for leaving you alone and postponing the things you needed, and promising to start working on your powers and that medical exam Nat mentioned, but both kept getting delayed. You didn’t mind. Neither of those things would be pleasant and you were nearly 100% certain your powers couldn’t be controlled.

    Your sleep schedule was nonexistent. You tried to sleep at night, but it was hard to get back into a schedule after the erratic schedule of the underwater prison. You’d never known what time of day it was there. So you rarely slept through the night and ended up curled up anywhere and everywhere around the tower for naps whenever you _could_ sleep. Loki never seemed to sleep either and never seemed to mind your company no matter what the adventure was, how late the hour, or how often you fell asleep in his company.

    You took to leaving the door to your bedroom open unless you were actually sleeping or actively changing clothes. Anyone looking for you was just going to barge in anyway, so you just saved them the trouble. The closed door got respected more that way anyway.

    One night you showed Loki how to bake cookies. He showed you the stairway to the roof he’d found, where you would watch the stars and feel and breathe fresh air. You were both on house arrest, which meant you couldn’t leave the tower, but you were both convinced that the roof was part of the tower and didn’t break the rules. You spent plenty of time in the library and even spent one night teaching Loki how to play video games. He was picking up sign language at an amazing rate and began to teach you to read Asgardian texts.

    *

    One afternoon you sat in one of the training rooms watching him practice drills with a dagger. You watched, fascinated at the grace with which he moved. You of course were not at all affected by the fact that he was shirtless while he practiced this activity. Not at all. Despite the fact that he was really, really attractive. Ok...maybe you were a little affected. Just a little. Anyone could admire the male form when it was shirtless...right?

    He saw your fascinated gaze. “I can teach you, if you’d like,” he offered when he finished the drill he’d been working on. You stood, curious, and willing to try. You stripped off the zippered hoodie you’d been wearing and set it carefully aside, braving being down to a long-sleeve t-shirt. Loki looked impressed by that. You were never without a sweatshirt of some variety. He offered you a dagger and began walking you through the basics of it. “You’re a natural, love,” he commented after awhile. You grinned at him and shook your head.

    [Not a natural] you signed quickly. [I have practice with something that helps] you gave him a smirk, daring him to ask.

    He took the dare. “And what would that be?” You thought about the best way to answer.

    [Can you summon anything with your magic?] you asked, thinking a demonstration was better than trying to actually explain.

    “Within reason,” he replied, most curious than anything. It had only been a few weeks of knowing him, but you’d spent nearly all of those few weeks together, and he knew you well enough by now to know you wouldn’t ask for anything extravagant. You usually didn’t ask him to use his magic at all. You nodded and pulled up a picture of the item you needed on your phone and showed it to him. He looked confused on why you were asking for a pair of shoes, but he summoned them with magic and handed them to you.

    You grinned and sat down to break the shoes in quickly, taking your dagger and cutting the fabric away from the toes, about a quarter sized piece on each. At least the ribbons were already tied on. He watched confused, but fascinated. You stretched a little. You were out of practice, but not too much for what you had in mind. At least the floor in this particular training room was perfect for this activity. You tested the shoes, then got into position and snapped to get Jarvis’ attention, before asking him to play The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. It wasn’t the most creative thing from your repertoire, but it was a classic and you’d had to dance it every Christmas for years. You couldn’t have forgotten it if you wanted to. You started the dance, joy filling you as you did. Ballet had been one of your passions for years. It was something you could enjoy even without your voice and you’d been training as long as you could remember.

    The dance never used to be difficult, but that was before a year of torture. It would take a lot of training to get your skill back. You made it through the dance, though you’d pay for it with sore muscles and especially sore toes later. Dancing en pointe was difficult on a normal day, and could be torture when you were out of practice. Loki was impressed with the performance anyway. He just stared in awe. “I have never seen any kind of dancing like that before,” he commented. “Very impressive,” that was all he could get out and you were impressed with yourself for flabbergasting him. He wasn’t the only one who was impressed. The training rooms had huge windows where people in the hall could see in. You hadn’t noticed while you were dancing that you had acquired an audience. Thor, Cap, Tony, Clint, and Nat were all standing in the doorway staring.

    “Not bad for a year without practice,” Nat was the first one to comment. You flushed, but nodded, accepting her comment. You were out of practice, but you still made it through.

    “Nat, you know damn well that was impressive after a year of torture, not just a year without practice,” Tony commented. You looked at him surprised, wondering how he knew anything about ballet. “My parents were rich snobs. I had to watch a _lot_ of ballet growing up. She used to be a ballerina,” he indicated Nat as you sat down to remove the pointe shoes, now that they’d helped you impress Loki. You donned the hoodie again and fought back a yawn, more tired out by that than you had expected.

    *

    You and Loki escaped the scrutiny of the others and finally found your favorite couch in the livingroom when everyone remembered that they had things they were supposed to be doing, now that they’d solved the mystery on why you had asked Jarvis to play a song from the Nutcracker in June.

    You signed out an apology to Loki for always being boring company and falling asleep in front of time, or using him as a pillow all of the time. He chuckled. “Nonsense, kitten,” he told you with a smile. He’d taken to the pet name after your blatant curiosity and your propensity to curl up and sleep anywhere, especially on him. “You are obviously healing after a year of imprisonment and torture. You need the sleep. And before you can argue, no you’re not bothering me, or distracting me, or annoying me, or whatever other arguments you’re going to try to make. I am glad you trust me to watch over you. Trust is an extremely precious commodity to me and not one I receive often. Believe me, I will not squander it when it is given.” He settled your head on his lap and draped the blanket over you. There always seemed to be blankets near your favorite napping places. “Rest. We will find an adventure when you wake,” he promised softly.

    *

    One night you woke to the sound of rain against your window. You jumped up excitedly from bed and rushed to the roof in your pajamas. You hadn’t felt rain on your skin in over a year. You rushed out into the rain and threw your arms wide, relishing the feel of the rain, feeling the boom of the thunder as it rattled your entire body and the terrifying exuberance of the lightning as it flashed across the sky. You had also forgotten the smell of the rain, the feel of the charged atmosphere.

    You don’t know how long you danced and twirled in the rain before you heard Loki’s voice from the door to the stairs. “Love, please don’t tell me you’re out in the rain,” his tone was grumpy and you felt this wasn’t the first place he’d looked for you on his midnight stroll.

    You twirled once more and turned to the door with a grin for him. [I won’t tell you] you signed. He huffed and rolled his eyes. He seemed to have to steel himself to step out into the rain. He swept over to you and summoned a cloak, draping it over you a moment before he summoned an umbrella to hold over you both.

    “What are you doing out here? You’re soaked to the bone and we’re on top of the tallest building around. This is _not_ a good time to be playing outside,” he grumbled, shepherding you back toward the door to the inside.

    [You woke up grumpy] you teased him. It was safe to tease him, even when he was grumpy. Besides, he was obviously worried, not angry.

    “I dislike storms,” he admitted. You raised an eyebrow at him and he continued as you let him herd you inside. “Thor used to summon storms to scare me as a child. He knew they frightened me, so he would create one whenever he was mad at me, or if he wanted my attention, since I used to hide with him until I learned that _he_ was the one who created the storm. I still dislike them,” he added. He _was_ much calmer once you were both back inside. “Why were you out there?” he asked. The change in air made you start shivering under his cloak. It didn’t matter that it was June. It was cold now that you weren’t actively playing in the rain. He sighed and answered his own question. “The feel of the rain on your skin. I hope for both of our sakes that this adventure has gotten you away from the idea that playing in thunderstorms is fun,” he grumbled. You nodded. You were very much over this adventure now that you were soaked and shivering. Summer weight pajamas, even with a long sleeve shirt, were not sufficient covering when they were completely drenched. “Good,”

    He led you back downstairs and into his room, his arm firmly around your shoulders. You tried to protest. You could go back to your own room and would even stay there for once. “You worried me, love. Let me make sure you’re alright first, please?” he asked softly. You nodded and let him steer you into his room. He was worried and still shaken by the storm in general.

    You wondered briefly why and how he had a fireplace in his room. You were sure it hadn’t been there the other day when you were bothering him, you’d been in here plenty of times before and never noticed a fireplace. You had a feeling he’d used magic to create it, and the couch in front of it. He summoned a roaring fire in the fireplace and stood you in front of it. You rolled your eyes at how overprotective he was being, but it was adorable, so you didn’t complain. “Stay,” he told you firmly and stepped away. You shivered again and stood close to the flames. He came back a moment later with a bundle of clothes. “Here, you need to put on something dry before you catch your death,” he unfolded the shirt he had included. “Yes, it has long sleeves. I am perfectly aware of your ‘thing’ about sleeves,” he added. Your heart warmed how he had not only noticed, but taken into account the fact that you always wore long sleeves.

    [Humans aren’t that fragile] you signed at him, exasperated. He was being extra over protective, especially for you just being friends.

    “Humor me, please?” he asked. You took the bundle of clothes from him. You could humor him if it meant that much to him. It must have for him to actually ask and insist.

    You realized then that he was taking his mind off the storm by focusing on taking care of you. It wasn’t that he disliked storms. He was still afraid of them. He had turned around the second you took the bundle from him. He wouldn’t pry and was a gentleman and wouldn’t watch you change. You slipped into the new clothes, and laid yours out in front of the fire, along with his cloak. The clothes were his, you realized, not something he’d conjured. They were too big, too long in the arms and legs, and smelled like him. They were extra comfortable for it. You touched his arm when you were dressed again. He turned and smiled. “You’re adorable, darling,” he told you. Moments later, you were curled on the couch with a blanket over you and a cup of hot tea in your hands.

    There was a crash of thunder and he jumped. You set your tea aside and ran your fingers down his shoulder length raven hair. He gave you a small smile. “Sorry,” he said softly. “I truly dislike storms,”

    [No need to be sorry] you signed at him. You wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and pulled his head down onto your shoulder as you tucked the blanket around him too. He lowered his guard and curled himself into your arms, accepting your comfort as you stroked his hair. Eventually, he was lulled to sleep with his head in your lap, using you as a pillow this time.

    “Loki? There is a storm and I have not yet seen you or Y/N,” Thor’s voice was questioning from the door. He obviously expected you both to be afraid of the storm. You raised a finger to your lips and pointed at the sleeping Loki. Thor nodded, understanding instantly what was going on. “Are you alright?” he asked you. You nodded and returned to stroking Loki’s hair as Thor left. You could take care of Loki tonight. He took care of you often enough. It was only fair.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mention of previous suicide attempt

    “Kid, I swear we will start working on your powers soon, and don’t think Nat’s forgotten about that medical exam,” Tony told you an evening a few days later.

    “We _have_ to start working on your powers soon. The world security council wants some reassurance you’re making progress. Don’t worry about that,” Cap insisted before you could protest. “We’ve got it taken care of, but we do have work to do. I swear you’re a priority and part of the team. It just has been a rough few weeks,”

    You nodded in reply. [It’s ok, Cap] you told him. Again. At least they tried to make you feel included when they were here, and the tower was so much better than the underwater prison, even if you _were_ on house arrest.

    “We have to take your playmate with us,” Nat told you apologetically. “Sorry, but we’re fighting Enhanced and we need his powers.”

    “Plus, he’s supposed to be helping us as community service,” Clint added with a glint of a grin at Loki, who just rolled his eyes. The team still wasn’t particularly fond of Loki for some reason. Nat pretended for your sake if nothing else. Thor was just glad Loki had a friend.

    Loki came into the room wearing his green and black battle costume and golden horned helmet. You went over to him and touched his cheek, worried that he was going out with the others, especially since this was the first time. He gave you a warm smile. He appreciated your concern. “Don’t fret, love. I have been through much worse battles than this one will be. Will you be alright here by yourself?” he asked. You nodded, planning on curling up in your room with a book. You didn’t want to stay downstairs by yourself in the empty tower. It was too empty and open. You’d hole up in your room until the team returned. He raised your hand to his lips and kissed the back of it lightly.

    “Come, brother,” Thor bid Loki, grabbing Loki by the arm and dragging him toward the elevator with the rest of the team. You grinned and waved to them, praying they’d be ok and back soon.

    *

    After awhile of reading, it started getting late and you still needed to get a shower. You set your book aside and went to your laptop to IM Jarvis, since there were no cameras in the bedrooms to sign with him. -Is everyone still out?- you asked

    -Yes, Miss-

    -Will you please let me know when they return?-

    -Yes, Miss-

    -Thank you- It was always best to be polite to the AI system that controlled the tower.

    You left your bedroom door open, so Loki would be able to hear the shower if he came by and not worry about where you were, but closed the bathroom door firmly. Just in case.

    Since you were alone in the tower and reassured that you were alone, you decided to do something stupid, but it had been so very, very long that you couldn’t resist when the opportunity came around. It was so rare to get an opportunity. It was so very rare for it to actually be safe.

    So you sang, belting out show tunes, old Disney songs, anything that came to your mind while you were in the shower. Your voice was hoarse at first. It had been quite a long time, but your singing voice was soon back in full. Oh how you’d missed singing.

    You were nailing the high notes in Defying Gravity when you turned to rinse your hair one last time before getting out of the shower. When you did, you saw the figure standing in the doorway to the bathroom. Your heart jumped in fear and you threw back the shower curtain, already drawing breath to scream, thinking it was an intruder, but it was a Loki instead.

    You jumped out of the shower and ran over to him, instantly worried over his safety since he’d obviously heard you singing. You reached up to touch his cheek. His ears weren’t bleeding. That was a good sign. His eyes were glazed, though, his expression dazed, but he didn’t seem hurt. He blinked quickly, now that you had stopped singing, and looked over his surroundings, confused. He looked at you then and truly saw you, his vision clearing; he finally seemed to realize where he was and what had happened. He turned the deepest scarlet you had ever seen anyone turn and he looked up at the ceiling, handing you a towel. You looked at it confused until you realized you had jumped straight out of the shower and ran to him and hadn’t stopped for a towel along the way. You flushed as deep of a shade of red as he was and grabbed the towel, wrapping it around yourself so you were covered from armpits to thighs at least.

    You tapped his arm when you were covered, the towel knotted firmly in place. [Are you ok?] you signed quickly. He was much better at reading your signs now and could keep up most of the time, even when you were agitated. [I’m sorry! Jarvis was supposed to tell me when you were back] Loki was staring at you instead of answering, some weird expression of shock and horror on his face. You poked him, hard. [Are. You. OK?] you signed slowly wondering what was wrong with him.

    “I’m fine,” he answered curtly. “I was just dazed for a moment. Your singing...” he trailed off, his eyes getting that glazed look again. You jabbed him hard with a finger again before he could get too dazed. He blinked quickly to clear his head. “We will discuss that later. There are more pressing matters right now, Lady.” His tone was almost...harsh, too formal, bordering on that icy edge he’d had the first night you met him. He was obviously upset about something. You cocked your head, confused as to what he was talking about.

    He took one of your arms gently. You paled, horrified by how badly you’d blundered this evening. For the first time, your arms were bare in front of him. He raised your arm equally gently, carefully, to look over the scars that lined the inside and outside of your arm from wrist to shoulder. The scars were deep, a razor-blade width and as close together as they could be without touching, at least most of them. There was some cross-hatching of them on the top of your left arm near the shoulder. Your right arm was nearly identical with the scars. The only scar that didn’t fit with the rest was the extra deep one on your left arm that went from your wrist to elbow in one long scar down the middle of your arm.

    There was a reason you’d hidden your arms.

    “Explain this, Lady,” Loki’s voice was icy, bordering on a snarl. It was taking all of his control not to lash out, at least not until he had an explanation. You nodded and pulled your arm carefully out of his grip. His grip tightened for a moment until he remembered you couldn’t talk until he let you go.

    [Can I put on clothes first?] you signed. You admitted you were stalling a little, but you’d also much rather have this conversation while wearing something more than a towel. He glowered, but fought back his emotions, and nodded curtly. He summoned a bundle of clothes and handed them to you. He made no movement to leave you alone to change, granted, he had just seen you naked, but that was a fluke and didn’t give him the right to continue seeing you naked. You realized he hadn’t moved because he didn’t trust that you hadn’t done this to yourself, and he wasn’t trusting you alone until he had his explanation. You stared at him until he turned his back, at least giving you that much privacy and changed quickly into the pajama pants and tank top he’d given you. You rolled your eyes. He wasn’t letting you out of this conversation by giving you long sleeves again. You touched his arm when you were decent and slipped past him into your bedroom when he moved to look at you. He followed you, storming after you as you went to your desk and grabbed your laptop before settling on your bed.

    He went to your bedroom door and shut it firmly when you were safely on the nice soft bed. You gestured to the bed for him to sit and join you. He did, sitting next to you so he could watch as you typed. He wasn’t waiting for you to sign out this story. He was too upset for that.

    -It wasn’t me- You typed first, trying to reassure him on that point. -At least all but this one- You pointed to the original scar, the long one from wrist to elbow on your left arm. He glared and a growl rumbled in his throat. -It wasn’t long after I was taken to the prison.- You typed quickly and he hovered over your shoulder to read. -One of the guards saw what was going on and realized how hopeless the situation was for all of us who were imprisoned unjustly. She slipped some of us, the most hopeless cases, razor blades. It was supposed to be a mercy. It was just more torture and more pain, because when I made the attempt, I started rattling off lottery numbers. I didn’t mean to, didn’t know I could do it. That was the only thing that saved my life. They would have let me bleed out, except one of the guards realized what I was saying, realized the shocks weren’t stopping me from speaking when I was lost to prophecy, and no one was hurt during the prophecy. They checked the numbers and realized the numbers I had said were right. They realized I speak prophecy when my skin is cut, so the guards, admins, government officials, all sorts of people, made all of the other cuts, kept asking questions, made me tell them their futures, tell them lottery numbers, who knows what else. I can’t really remember the prophecies once I speak them- you stopped typing then, not sure what else to add.

    “You did not do this yourself?” he asked softly. You shook your head.

    -Not except the original. I swear. I wouldn’t. Not now that I’m free of that place-

    He pulled you into his arms, holding you too tightly, worried for you for what had been done to you, and kissing your forehead. “I never want you to feel that that is the only option ever again,” he whispered as you wrapped your arms around him too. You laid your head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat for a long time.


	6. Chapter 6

    Loki held you safe in his arms awhile longer. He seemed to be doing it as much for his sake as for yours. You didn’t mind. He was safe, strong, and comfortable for all that his body was strangely cool to the touch. He ran his fingers lightly down your arms, softly, gently, touching each scar as he did. Each one seemed to hurt his soul, hurt him a little more that your skin bore the scars. “Never again, darling,” he promised you softly. “I will _never_ allow you to be used like that again.” His words were reassuring, though more protective than a friend’s words, you realized. He cared for you more than just simple friendship...and you realized that your feelings weren’t purely friendly either...

    You shifted in his arms enough to pull your laptop into you lap where he could easily read the screen over your shoulder so you could talk to him more easily. -What’d you do tonight? Is everyone else back too?-

    “They should be back by now,” his voice was still soft, gentled now that you were safe in his arms. “They sent me back ahead to check on you. I can teleport,” he added quickly before you could ask how he beat the others back. “No one liked leaving you alone tonight. We took care of the Enhanced. SHIELD has them in custody now.”

    -My shower?- you typed quickly. It wasn’t like him to barge into a bathroom like that and you had to know how badly he’d been affected.

    “I came up here to check on you, since you weren’t downstairs.” He hesitated, trying to think, to remember. That wasn’t a good sign. “I heard singing.” His eyes started to glaze again. You jabbed him hard in the side before he could get too distracted. This really wasn’t good, the thrall should’ve worn off by now. He blinked quickly and nodded a thanks to you for catching him before he got lost to even the memory of the thrall. “I had to follow the singing. I have never heard anything so compelling before. Somehow that led to me standing in the doorway of your bathroom. I apologize for that. It was unseemly to do so...” he flushed.

    -I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been singing. I thought I was alone or I never would have risked it-

    “It takes quite a lot of power to enthrall an Asgardian,” he commented, thinking over your power, now that he was thinking clearly enough to consider it and consider what had happened. “You’re a Siren,” he finally concluded.

    You nodded, it was an apt description for that particular ability. -It’s one of the three powers I know I have- you typed. The sirens were part of Greek mythology, monsters who lured sailors to the deaths with their beautiful singing. You didn’t know the full extent of any of your abilities, they were all too dangerous to test.

    Loki stopped you before you settled yourself too comfortably in his arms again, thinking the conversation was over now that he knew the secret of why you kept your arms covered. “I have let you stall long enough, love. You know what must come next. I would have forced the issue weeks ago had I known how bad it was.” He started. You tucked your head under his chin, ignoring what he was trying to say. He sighed. “Darling, you are completely covered in wounds, many of which have not completely healed, though you have been here for weeks. It is time to see the medical staff,” he told you overly patiently. “You have a choice, either come downstairs to the medical staff on your own, or I will carry you there.” You were sorely tempted to call his bluff, but you could tell from his tone that he wasn’t bluffing.

    You huffed a sigh and sat up, setting your laptop aside. [You’re not making me go alone, are you?] you asked him, terrified of seeing these...professionals alone. Authority figures were not to be trusted.

    “No, love. Not unless you want to be alone while they examine you,” he replied gently. You shook your head. You didn’t want to face these people alone. He stood and offered you a hand. “Come on, we will go together,” he bid you softly. You hesitated. “Do I have to carry you?” he asked when you hesitated too long. With a huffy sigh, you took his hand and let him haul you to your feet. He summoned his own robe to settle over your shoulders. “Until we get to the doctors,” he explained. He’d let you hide until then. You nodded in appreciation and held his hand too tightly as you went downstairs with him.

    “Found her?” Cap asked Loki when you entered the living room. It was on the way to the medical bay, since this was the ‘main’ floor of the tower. The team was gathered in the living room, sitting on the couches devouring all the food in the tower after their battle.

    Loki nodded. “Is the medical staff still here?” he asked carefully, ignoring that you were holding onto his arm too tightly, half hidden behind him.

    “Y/N, you were hurt while we were gone?” Cap asked, concerned by Loki’s words. You shook your head.

    “Lady Y/N’s medical exam has been postponed too long,” Loki explained, but that didn’t reassure anyone. They all looked ready to attack Loki, thinking he’d done something to you. Most of them started getting up to do just that. Loki stepped further in front of you to protect you, somehow getting his arm out of your grip.

    “Brother, explain your meaning quickly,” Thor’s voice was calm, but it held the boom of thunder, of poorly controlled temper.

    “Has a single one of you seen her without long sleeves? Despite that it is June?” Loki demanded, knowing full well that they hadn’t, since he hadn’t until tonight. “Have you seen the damage those...people... did to her?”

    You touched Loki’s arm, cutting off his tirade. There was an easy way to end this, to protect him, though it scared you to do it. You stepped out from behind Loki     “Y/N-” Loki started to say, willing and wanting to protect you. You gave him a small smile that wasn’t nearly as reassuring as you’d meant it to be and shrugged off his robe, handing it to him. You took another couple of steps into the room, where everyone would be able to easily see you, and see the scars.

    They were all horrified. Bruce had to rush from the room, looking green. You didn’t think you looked _that_ bad that he should’ve felt the need to puke just from looking at you. “He is trying not to turn into the Hulk out of anger at seeing what the did to you, love,” Loki explained when he caught your hurt gaze watching Bruce nearly running from the room. That was reassuring at least.

    “Nat,” Cap said. None of the rest of the team moved. They were horrified at the scars on your arms and the burns and marks on your neck. Between your hair and the hoodies you wore all the time, they hadn’t known, hadn’t seen, and hadn’t put it together with what they _did_ know happened to you over the past year. They’d been so busy and you had seemed physically alright.

    Nat came over to you to look over the scars. It took effort to let her, but you stood still. “How did this happen?” she asked softly, gently. You looked over at Loki, pleading for him to help with your expression. He nodded and told them what you had told him. You sighed in relief that you didn’t have to tell the story again tonight. “Is that true?” Nat asked you when Loki had finished. You nodded.

    “Tony, set up a press conference for tomorrow. This is the kind of thing we need to show the council to get The Raft shut down,” Cap ordered. Tony pulled out his phone to do just that. You looked over at Cap horrified. “We’ll do all the talking. You just have to stand there and look terrified. I think you can handle it. This is our best opportunity to get that place shut down for good.”

    “She should be ok,” Nat said, stepping back from her examination of your arms. “But I’d still like to get you to medical to be sure. I’m a combat medic out of necessity. This is out of my realm of expertise,”

    “Brother, how did you see this when no one else has?” Thor demanded, not missing that part of the story, though the others had seemed to ignore it. It was obvious you had been hiding it.

    You and Loki just looked at each other. This story was going to suck no matter who told it or how. [It’s not his fault] you signed quickly. Thor glared.

    “What is not his fault, Lady?” he asked in that same icy tone Loki had been fighting so hard to avoid earlier.

    [I was alone in the house] In your rush to tell the story quickly to protect Loki you had forgotten the word for ‘tower’ [Jarvis was supposed to tell me when anyone returned. I thought I was alone] you stressed again. [I was singing in the shower. Loki couldn’t help following my voice. One of my powers is that I’m a siren] You had no idea what the sign was for that, so you spelled out the word. [He kinda...saw me naked. Accidentally!] you added that last sign firmly. A couple of times.

    “It was an accident?” Thor asked again. You nodded firmly.

    [Loki is a gentleman. He wouldn’t-] Thor nodded, accepting your answer. Loki was wisely staying out of this. He was, in fact, being oddly quiet. You looked over at him and bit back a curse. His eyes were glazed. You strode over to him and jabbed him hard in the side. He bit back a yelp and fought to keep from glaring at you. [Stop. Thinking. About. The. Singing.] You signed firmly at him. The thrall should have worn off by now. There was obviously something you didn’t know about how it worked. The last time it had happened, though, your brother had only been affected for a couple minutes, but that was years ago.

    “Nat, get Y/N to medical,” Cap ordered, now that the rest of the story was over. You could tell how upset he was since he was stuck in order-giving mode. Everyone was upset tonight.

    Nat wrapped an arm around your shoulders to steer you to medical. You reached back for Loki. “Yes, you can bring your security blanket,” she laughed. Loki caught up to you and draped his robed back over your shoulders. He wrapped his arm around you and Nat moved to lead the two of you to the med room, where the doctor was still stitching up Clint from however he’d gotten injured.

    “Almost done,” Clint told you all as you came in.

    “Good, the kid needs looked at,” Nat said casually. It only took a minute for the doctor to finish the last couple of stitches.

    “Need me to stick around?” Clint asked. Nat shook her head.

    “Go get something to eat,” she told him. He nodded and headed off to do just that, and also have some of the beers that were on the coffee table in the living room as part of the post-fight ‘celebration’.

    With some convincing, Loki and Nat got you to take off Loki’s robe again and sit on the table while the doctor looked you over. Loki held your attention by telling stories of Thor from their childhood. The second the doctor had finished looking you over, you were off of the table and had your arms wrapped firmly around Loki’s waist. “She does not like doctors. Or authority figures,” he explained apologetically to the doctor, who was looking miffed. The doctor spoke to Nat giving instructions on how to deal with the wounds that hadn’t completely healed yet. Loki was paying attention too. You were not.

    “Loki, you can get her out of here,” Nat told him. He nodded and swept you quickly from the room.

    You donned his robe again before the two of you joined the others in the living room to eat pizza. He moved to take one of the beers, but looked at you, concerned since you couldn’t, and really didn’t want to, have one. [Go ahead] you told him.

    “It is not nearly as good as the ale back home,” Thor told him.

    “Too bad they don’t have a decent mead here,” Loki commented sadly. He suffered with the beer. “You are correct, this is nowhere near our ale.” You smiled at his expression, content with your pizza and pop.

    Nat came in and handed you a couple of pills before she took a spot on the couch where she was conveniently stealing half of Clint’s seat too. He returned the favor and stole half of her seat too. “The doctor gave me those for you,” she told you without preamble. “They’ll help,” she added, and stared you down until you obediently swallowed them. She hadn’t told you what they’d help with, but it wasn’t wise to argue with Nat when she told you to do something. It wasn’t long before you felt your eyes growing heavy and you bit back more than a few yawns. Nat gave you an apologetic look. “Sorry, Y/N. You need to sleep tonight and not wander around the tower all night like usual. The press conference is first thing in the morning and we all need you to be awake for it. I know you want that place shut down as much as the rest of us.”

    You swore at her creatively, but your hands were getting heavy too and it was hard to focus them into words. “We get the gist,” Clint laughed at your attempts to sign your cursing at Nat. “The real question is who gets the honor of carrying you to bed?”

    “That honor would be mine,” Loki announced firmly as he stood, lifting you effortlessly into his arms. You would never have made it to bed on your own. Loki was stronger than his thin frame suggested, and you’d already had a slim ballerina’s build before your year in prison. The others opened their mouths to protest, or volunteer as tribute, or something. Loki glared at them all until they thought better of it. Especially Nat, who wasn’t Loki’s favorite person right now for drugging you, even though you both knew it was necessary. He strode from the room to the elevator. “I’ve got you, love, you’re safe,” he told you softly when you were out of earshot of the others. You nodded and laid your head on his shoulder, trusting him, closing your eyes when they wouldn’t stay open anymore. Your eyes wouldn’t open again, even when he laid you down, but you felt the blankets being tucked around you and would have sworn that was a kiss on your forehead. You were pretty far out of it, though, and were probably mistaken on that last point. Sure you were.... He couldn’t possibly like you more than a friend...


	7. Chapter 7

    “Darling, I really hope you are actually awake this time. I would had to be rendered unconscious twice in one morning,” Loki greeted you with a smile in his voice when you woke to the annoying alarm in the room. The alarm was Jarvis insisting you get up to prepare for the press conference.

    You nodded and sat up slowly. Loki was sitting on top the bed next to you while you were bundled under the blankets. You had a feeling he’d been there all night keeping guard. You also realized this wasn’t your room. This was his room with his illicit fireplace. [I’m awake] you signed when you were sitting up again. [Why were you unconscious?]

    “Whatever those pills were made you talk in your sleep,” Loki grumbled. “It’s alright and not your fault,” he added quickly before you could react and apologize. “We just need to make sure Lady Natasha does not try to do that again. I have also discovered that if you _do_ start to stir under the influence of sleeping pills, you are soothed back to sleep by Asgardian poetry,” he told you with a teasing smile. You flushed and looked down at your lap.

    [Sorry] you signed quickly. [You should’ve put me to bed in my own bed]

    “But had I done that, I could not have guarded you,” he replied ever so logically, though it was unnecessary for him to guard you at all. It was comforting to know that he had been there, though. “Lady Natasha informed me that she set out something for you to wear this morning.” You felt yourself pale. You did _not_ want to do a press conference. “I will be there too, darling. We shall suffer together. If the Captain is correct, this press conference could be essential in getting that place shut down for good,” Loki reminded you. You nodded and finally climbed out of the bed.

    On a stupid impulse, you kissed his cheek before darting from the room. You couldn’t help noticing the look of shock on his face or the warm smile as his hand went automatically to his cheek where you’d kissed it.

    *

    You found a knee length sleeveless white sundress with green accents on your bed waiting for you. You dressed carefully and slipped on the flat sandals that had been set out as well. “Y/N, are you dressed?” Nat asked, knocking on your bedroom door. You opened the door for her. “The dress is perfect,” she announced. “Let me do your hair.” You nodded and let her brush your hair out, then tie it up in a knot at the back of your head.

    You made the mistake of looking in the mirror when she was finished. You had avoided looking in mirrors as often as possible. You barely recognized yourself. It was horrifying to see the scars on your arms, how much your body had changed from a year in that prison.

    You also realized exactly what Nat was planning with your outfit and appearance. She was playing up the cute little helpless teenage girl act. “Are you ok to do this?” she asked. You nodded. If this could help get The Raft shut down, you’d suffer being in front of the cameras. “Good. Let’s go find that playmate of yours. He’s coming for this too. We have another job for you two after the press conference and I want to make sure you’re debriefed on it at the same time.”

    You nodded and went with her downstairs to the kitchen to steal some poptarts from Thor for breakfast. Instead you found that Clint had made pancakes. You grinned in delight when he handed you a plate of them. “Don’t let Loki steal any of your pancakes. Just because they’re his favorite. I’ve made plenty for everyone,” Clint told you firmly. You nodded and took your seat at the dining room table. Loki joined you a few minutes later with his own stack of pancakes. He his child-like look of glee was a huge contrast with the perfectly tailored suit he wore. You had to admit that he was extremely attractive in the suit.

    “Clint made pancakes!” he told you with glee as he sat down next to you to eat his pancakes. He had devoured them quickly and reached his fork over to your plate to snag a bite of yours. You flipped your fork over in a practiced movement and jabbed his hand with it, glaring at him. He yelped and pulled his hand back like you’d actually hurt him, which you hadn’t. You slid your plate further away from him and returned to your pancakes. “How did you get so good at defending your food?” he asked, pouting.

    [Idiot brother] you signed quickly.

    “You have a brother?” Thor asked. You nodded, but didn’t look up from your breakfast. You really didn’t want to talk about your family.

    “You’re allowed to contact them, you know,” Cap told you gently. You didn’t look at him. You wanted to, of course, but you didn’t even know where to begin telling them anything about the last year. That’s why you hadn’t logged in to any of your social media either.

    While you were eating, Nat spoke up. “I told you that you two have another job after the press conference. It’s not going to be easy,” she started.

    “It’s important, though,” Cap added. You looked over at them and raised an eyebrow.

    “What job do you have for us?” Loki asked, equally confused. You were both on house arrest.

    “Spend the day out of the tower. Go to a park, take him to a movie, the mall, go out to eat, whatever you want. Have fun. Be a teenager, make him learn about Earth. We want the press and paparazzi to see you both out of the tower without us around and see that you are both perfectly safe,” Nat explained.

    “You really think that’s going to work?” Clint demanded.

    “The press thinks they’re both monsters and dangerous. That’s why they’re on house arrest. You both know it’s true, so don’t glare at the messenger.” Tony added.

    “Y/N hasn’t done anything wrong, and we want to show that Loki’s reformed,” Cap explained.

    Tony huffed. “That’s why you wanted this,” he handed a wallet to Nat. She opened it and nodded when she looked through it, before handing it to Loki. “They get to go play outside unsupervised and I have to pay for it?” he grumbled.

    “You’re a billionaire. You can handle it,” Cap snapped when he saw that you looked like you were going to protest.

    “I’m joking, kid. Have fun. Cap’s right. We need all the good press we can get for you two.” Tony told you quickly. You nodded and offered the last bite of your pancakes to Loki from your fork. He grinned at you and took the bite gladly. You smiled. It was always nice to see him smile.

    “Loki, can you get the dishes? We need to get going to the press conference,” Nat asked nicely. Since she asked nicely, Loki used magic to clean the dishes and put them away. It only took a moment.

    You soon found yourself back in the backseat of a SHIELD SUV with Loki. At least you weren’t bound and gagged this time. Instead, you were in a sundress and sandals. “You look lovely, darling,” Loki told you softly when he caught you worrying again. You were barely ok with you housemates seeing your scars. You weren’t thrilled about displaying them to the entire world.

    The actual press conference was hell. You had to stand in the spotlight while Nat and Cap told your story. At least your only real job was to look small, innocent, and like a terrified victim. You were pulling that off just fine. Loki stood nearby, a reassuring presence. They also explained how Loki was working with the team and was a good addition. They allowed the press and scary government people to ask you questions. You signed out answers, which Nat translated for you.

    You were relieved when the press conference was over and Loki could wrap an arm around your shoulders and lead you off the stage. “You did wonderfully, darling,” he told you softly.

    [That was awful] you signed at him in reply.

    “I know, but they’re actively talking about shutting that place down now, and it’s because of you and your story,” Cap told you. “You did great. Now go have fun. I expect not to see either of you back at the tower until after dinner,” He handed a set of car keys to Loki. “Don’t do anything stupid, or wreck Tony’s car,” he indicated the sleek fast looking car parked nearby. You both nodded in the meek innocent way that no one in the tower would ever believe. “Seriously, don’t do anything stupid. Don’t use any magic. Just let the paparazzi see you behaving in public,”

    “We will be fine, Captain. I will take care of Y/N and see that she has a good time,” Loki replied formally. He offered you his arm to escort you to the waiting car. You placed your hand on his arm, waved to Cap and the others, and let Loki walk you to the car for your day out of the tower.


	8. Chapter 8

    You let Loki walk you to the car and smiled when he opened your door for you. You had expected the courtesy. Living with the Asgardian for weeks had reminded you very quickly of all the courtesies you had forgotten and taught you ones you weren’t quite sure were real things...

    [You know how to drive?] you asked Loki before you would take the passenger seat. You had your license, or at least you’d gotten it right before you’d been taken. You still needed to get Nat and Clint to make you new IDs and papers, or talk to your family.

    “I know how. Clint taught me one afternoon,” he replied, “and Lady Natasha even gave me an ID that says that I am allowed to do so,” he added with a smile. You returned his smile and settled in the car, pulling your phone out of your pocket so you could get the GPS set up to give directions to Loki while he drove. You didn’t want him to have to try to read your signs and keep his eyes on the road at the same time.

    You ended up at the giant mall nearby. It seemed like the easiest place to have the most fun. He parked near the doors to the mall and you tried to ignore the cars that had followed you from the press conference. They must have been the paparazzi that Cap wanted you to be normal in front of.

    You touched Loki’s arm before he got out of the car to get his attention. He looked over at you. [Most people don’t sign] you warned him. [You’re going to have to do all of the talking]

    “They don’t sign?” he asked, confused. He was used to everyone in the tower who did sign.

    You shook your head. [No. Even the Avengers only know how because of Clint, and now me]. He sighed and looked put-upon.

    “Very well. I can speak to the boring Midgardians. And not stab them,” he added quickly with a grin, which earned him a giggle. He was out of the car and at your door before you had even put your phone back in your pocket. You were grateful to Nat for insisting on dresses with pockets, since she hadn’t felt the need for you to bring a purse to press conference. Loki offered you a hand when he opened your car door. You placed your hand lightly in his and stepped out of the car. “What are they doing?” Loki asked when he noticed the photographers taking pictures of the two of you.

    [They’re the...news people] dammit, you kept forgetting words, though you weren’t sure you ever knew the word for ‘paparazzi’ [Cap wants to see us] you explained quickly. [They’re taking pictures of us]

    Loki gave you his Cheshire cat grin in reply and lifted your hand to his lips, bowing over it to place a kiss on the back of your hand. He was going to have way too much fun today annoying the paparazzi. Or making every female in the vicinity swoon over his overly romantic gestures. You grinned in reply and placed your hand on the arm he offered so he could walk you into the mall.

    You cursed Cap and Nat for setting you up to be uncomfortable. The mall was crowded on a Saturday. You and Loki were drawing a lot of attention, especially with the press trying to catch good pictures of you. He was Loki, and you were covered in very visible scars. You saw his attention shift, though it was only the slightest change in his appearance, as he listened to the crowd around you. There were too many people commenting on your scars. He dropped your hand and gracefully slipped out of his suit jacket. “It is cold in here, darling,” he said, loudly enough to be heard by those nearby as he helped you put the suit jacket on. You heard the clicks of the cameras nearby and kissed his cheek before he’d straightened again from helping you with the jacket. You would have done it anyway, it was a perfectly friendly and totally not romantic gesture to say ‘thank you’... “You’re welcome,” he replied with a smile. “Now, what fun shall we find is this marvelous place you’ve brought me to?”

    You took his hand and led him to the movie theater in the middle of the mall. You stopped outside to look over the showtimes and the movies that were playing. This was going to be hard.

    Why did Cap send the mute girl and the alien out without someone to translate for them?

    You spotted a move Loki would like and conveniently there was a showing soon of it. You led Loki inside to the ticket line and nearly sighed in relief when you caught him listening to the couple in front of you order their tickets. “Hello,” he greeted the girl at the ticket counter when it was your turn. “We would like two tickets for...” he turned to you “which one, darling?” you signed the answer quickly. “Dragons,” he concluded his sentence to the ticket lady. She looked like she was melting over his accent. You didn’t blame her in the slightest. Loki paid with one of the many hundred dollar bills you spotted in the wallet Tony had given him this morning. At least you weren’t strapped for cash today...

    Somehow the guy at the snack counter signed so you could order your snacks on your own. You ordered automatically based on what you and your best friend had done when you’d come to the movies. [A large popcorn with extra butter and a large drink please] you signed to the guy, who began making your order. You turned to Loki [Sorry! I should have gotten you your own drink. I forgot... I’ll get him to get us another]

    “Forgot what, darling?” Loki asked, curious more than anything.

    [My best friend and I used to come here all the time. We always used to share a drink because it was cheaper]

    Loki shrugged. “I see no problem with it,” he replied with a smile. You breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn’t offended, or thinking you’d assumed this a date where sharing would have been normal. Loki carried the snacks and walked with you to the actual theater. You handed the ticket collector your tickets, more interested in Loki’s interested curious expression at the entire experience.

    He was enthralled by the entire experience. His eyes lit up like a child’s when the the screen came on. “That is the biggest TV...” he stared at it in awe and you took a picture of his gleeful expression. You both devoured the popcorn. He loved it, though he would never admit to the others how much he cared for the mundane Midgardian snack. He did pout over getting butter on his hand, until you grinned mischievously at him, grabbed his hand by the wrist, and licked the salt and butter off of one of his fingers. He chuckled at your antics. He absolutely loved the movie too, it was about Vikings and dragons. You figured he would enjoy it.

    After the movie you ducked into the ladies’ room to wash the last of the salt and butter from your own hands. You weren’t surprised to find Loki waiting right outside the door for you when you came back out, even though you knew for a fact that he was going down to the mens’ room to do the same.

    “So, what is our next adventure?” he asked you with a smile.

    [Are you hungry?] you asked. You knew how Asgardians were. He wasn’t as bad as Thor, but they could both be bottomless pits.

    “We devoured our weight in popcorn, I think even I can survive until you are actually hungry,” he replied with a grin. That earned him a smirk in reply. You took his hand again and wandered around the mall with him for a long while. You’d missed this and it was fun wandering the shops and oogling the things you didn’t need.

    One of your best decisions that afternoon was to drag him into the build a stuffed animal store. “Why are we going in here?” he asked confused. You just gripped his hand tighter and dragged him inside.

    [It’s fun] you signed at him. He didn’t look convinced, but let you drag him over to the wall of the unfilled stuffed animals. You looked them over carefully, then picked the cutest teddy bear you saw. You grabbed an empty one, then gave Loki a look.

    He huffed. “Why am I doing this?” he grumbled, but he would have fun once he realized what you were doing. He picked a bear that was the same raven colored as his hair. It was perfect. You grinned and dragged him over to the bear stuffing machine. He laughed when they made you both do the silly heart ceremony before the little fabric hearts were put in the bears. Once the bears were sewn up, Loki tried to move to the register. You grabbed his arm to stop him and dragged him over to the clothes instead. “Darling, why are we dressing the stuffed animals?” He rolled his eyes, especially at the staff noticing his hesitance to participate. You pouted at him. “Very well.” He followed you while you searched through the bear clothes until you found what you were looking for. He didn’t understand what you were up to until you put the ballet slippers on your bear that you had dressed in jeans and an oversized hoodie.

    It was worth his grumbles to see the look of absolute delight on his face when he understood the game. He dove into the clothes then and found what he was looking for at the back of the superhero display where he found a Loki costume for his bear. He had the most delighted expression when he found the very last Loki costume that the entire staff was thrilled when he did. You had a feeling they would be ordering a lot more of those costumes. The bears were paid for and Loki broke the rule on no magic to send the big boxes to the car. You still weren’t quite sure he’d understood the entire game, but the rest of it would come that night.

    The next stop was the huge bookstore in the mall. It took every ounce of effort you could muster to keep up with Loki and not lose him among the books. You still failed. You turned your back on him for a second to look at a book that looked interesting. He was gone the next second. You sighed at your own folly. You should have held onto him. So you wandered over to the journal section to pick one out, intending on finding Loki once you had the things you wanted. You had a new journal and a couple of books of favorite authors whose new releases you had missed over the last year.

    Then you went on the hunt for your Loki. You followed the trail of perplexed looking employees and whirlwind of whispers of ‘was that really Loki?’. You found him surrounded by towers of books at the back of the store, sitting on the floor in his fort of book towers like a little kid, despite the fact that he was wearing a suit. You grinned and took yet more pictures of him.

    You reached into his book fort and poked him. He looked up at you from the book jacket he was examining. You just stood there and gave him a look. “They have so many books!” he exclaimed with child-like glee.

    [You have to choose] you signed at him. He pouted. You tried to look forceful, but he was so delighted with the books so you started helping him pick. He still bought way too many, but he limited his choices to books that interested you both. Today anyway. At least you didn’t feel bad about the three books and journal that you had chosen. You also got him to clean up the mess he had made before the store manager could see it and tell you that you were never allowed in the store again. Again, Loki used magic to return your bags to the car so he didn’t have to carry them.

    Your adventure in the bookstore had eaten up a lot of time. [What should we get for dinner?] you asked him when you finally left the bookstore.

    “Is there an actual restaurant here, or just the food court?” he asked, sounding sad at the prospect of having to deal with the food court.

    [There’s a really good Italian restaurant]

    He nodded and made an elegant sweeping gesture with his arm. “Lead on, my lady,” he told you with a grin. Instead, you placed your hand on the crook of his arm and walked with him to the other end of the mall where the restaurant was. It was a nice restaurant, but not the fanciest place in town.

    “Good evening, how many tonight?” asked the hostess when you entered, after Loki held the door open for you of course. You held up two fingers with a smile, forgetting that not answering verbally would be seen as rude.

    “Two, please,” Loki added quickly, stepping up to your side from the door, where he’d gotten stuck holding it for the people behind you too, before the hostess could act on her offense at your apparent rudeness.

    [Thank you] you signed at Loki. [I forgot how people are sometimes....] The hostess led you quickly to a table. You had seen the quick expression of embarrassed shock when you started signing with Loki. She had made the wrong assumption. Hopefully she wouldn’t do it to the next disabled person who came into the restaurant.

    Loki helped you remove the jacket you were wearing and settled it on the back of your chair. He also pulled the chair out for you. The hostess waited patiently and didn’t comment on your scars, at least not where you could hear her.

    “It’s so nice to see a young man who is such a gentleman,” one of a pair of little old ladies commented from a nearby table. They weren’t intending to be heard, but it was nice to hear anyway.

    [Apparently you’re young] you signed at Loki across the table once he was settled and you both had menus.

    “Apparently,” he replied with a grin. You both knew that he was definitely _not_ young. You saw the hostess having a rushed conversation with your server before he came over. Loki placed both of your orders, though you knew he had been tempted to let the server suffer for not knowing how to sign. He wouldn’t let you suffer. Besides, you would have just pointed to the item on the menu. You signed a thank you to the server, especially at his questioning expression on why Loki placed the orders. It wasn’t common anymore and was an outdated courtesy.

    You spent the wait discussing the movie and the fun you’d had today. He patiently waited for you to sign your additions to the conversation and didn’t speak over you, unlike so many others you’d known.

    The meal was delicious and the company perfect. Loki helped you slip his jacket back on after dinner and he chuckled when he caught how you were trying to hide a yawn. You gave him a sheepish, apologetic smile. Today had been the longest you’d stayed awake at one time in a _very_ long time, and keeping up with Loki’s energy wasn’t always easy, especially in the bookstore. “I think we have had enough adventuring for one day,” he commented warmly.

    “Miss? You dropped this,” the hostess said after you passed by her stand near the front of the restaurant. You turned, confused. You didn’t have anything besides your phone with you. You dropped Loki’s arm and went to see what the hostess wanted. Loki took a step after you, but you waved at him. “Do you need help?” the hostess whispered quickly when you’d reached her, making a small, scared, glance at Loki. “We saw your wounds. We can keep you safe here. Call the police-” You shook your head, cutting her off, quickly, seeing what she was getting at. Thank all the gods Loki hadn’t tried to follow you over. He would be pissed at the accusation. You grabbed one of the pens and a slip of paper from the hostess stand.

    -Thank you for your concern. The asshole who did this is in jail- That was a lie, but it would appease the concerned humans. She questioned you again, but you reassured her and went back to Loki, waving to her with a smile.

    “What was that about?” Loki asked you as he held the door open for you.

    [You don’t want to know. It will just make you angry] you told him.

    “Lady...” his tone was a warning. You sighed. He wasn’t going to give up until he got an answer.

    [She wanted to make sure _you_ weren’t the one who injured me]

    “Because I’m the monster who tried to take over the world?” he asked, his voice harsh with anger and pain.

    You shook your head firmly. [Because you’re male] He just stared at your hands, confused. It took nearly the entire walk back to the car to explain domestic abuse. It was such a foreign concept to him that a man would claim to love a woman and strike her. You had the impression it was a foreign concept to him to strike a woman outside of the confined of glorious battle, or training for said glorious battle.

    “I would never-” he started.

    [I know, darling] you signed. He raised an eyebrow.

    “I do not know -” he repeated the sign for ‘darling’. You fingerspelled out the word for him slowly. He smiled warmly and nodded.

    He opened your car door for you again and settled you inside. You set your phone up to give him directions back to the tower and settled more comfortably in the passenger’s seat. Either the drive back was short or you had dozed off while he was driving. You couldn’t quite be sure.

    You helped him carry the bags inside the tower, despite his protests. He let you carry your teddy bear and your small bag from the bookstore. You would’ve gone straight up to your room, but there was a text from Cap on your phone telling you to report when you got home. So you stopped by the living room to see what he wanted.

    “Good job today, you two,” Cap greeted you when you stepped off the elevator.

    “What do you mean?” Loki asked while you tilted your head in confusion too. The group laughed and turned on the TV.

    “Jarvis, show them the news clip,” Tony ordered.

    “Yes, Mr. Stark,” came Jarvis’ reply. There was a recording of the press conference while the anchors were discussing the horrible things that he been done to you and the other innocent kids. Loki wrapped his arm around you during it. After that, there were clips, pictures, and even a couple full videos from your day out with Loki.

    “You’re trending on social media, and it’s all positive press, even for Reindeer Games,” Tony explained.

    “You should probably actually log back in to your accounts tomorrow,” Nat told you gently. “And call your mother,” you sighed and nodded. You had run out of time. If you were on TV, you were going to have to get back in touch with the world.

    You gave them an over-exaggerated giant yawn and they let you be for the evening. They all knew how long of a day it would’ve been for you. They’d all seen you curled up around the tower and odd times of the day and night. You were pretty sure most of them had draped a blanket over you at one time or another if Loki hadn’t happened to have been around when you fell asleep.

    Loki escorted you back up to your room. All of the bag had disappeared, except the stuffed bear you wouldn’t let go of. When you got to the door of your room, you slipped off his jacket and handed it back to him. [Thank you] you told him after he had taken it back.

    “Anytime,” he replied with a smile.

    You then handed him the teddy bear that looked like you with a mischievous grin. He looked confused, but took the bear gently from your hands, obviously wondering what you were up to. [It’s a gift. I made her for you] you finally explained the game. His eyes lit up with joy when he finally, finally understood the full game of the create your own stuffed animal store. With a shimmer of green magic, the bear he had made appeared in his hands as well.

    “Then it is only fair that I gift you the one I made in return,” he replied with a smile and handed you the raven colored bear in the Loki costume. You smiled up at him brightly, accepting the bear and cuddling it to your chest. “Lucky bear,” he grumbled with a smirk. You giggled in reply.

    He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind your ear. “I love hearing your laugh, my darling,” he said softly. He leaned down and you looked up at him, having an idea what he was up to, but not quite believing it. “May I?” he asked softly, hesitantly, nervously when his lips were nearly to yours. You nodded and he closed the distance, his lips gentle and cool on yours. The kiss was chaste, but perfect, crisp as a winter’s day, and yet filled with the warmth of feelings you weren’t brave enough yet to name. It was perfect and the perfect end to a wonderful day.


	9. Chapter 9

    You slept for a few hours that night, cuddling the little Loki teddy bear. You fell asleep remembering your wonderful day out. It was so good to feel normal again. You weren’t normal, you’d never be normal, but you had proven you could be out among people again.

    As usual, you only managed a few hours of sleep at a time. You actually dressed for your midnight wandering on a hunch, and took your hoodie with you instead of wearing it. You’d throw it on if you bumped into someone who had a negative reaction to seeing your scarred arms. With you laptop and Lokibear you went downstairs to the living room and turned on Tony’s huge TV.

    It took effort to log into your Facebook account. You thought it’d be safer to log in at 2am. You were wrong. You were bombarded with messages from your friends the second they noticed you had logged in. They were all demanding if the stories on the news were real, if that really was you, where you’d been for the last year, etc.

    So you carefully wrote out a long status explaining the past year and how the story on the news was real, that was really you, the scars were real (though not that you could speak the future), and yes, you had spent the day with Loki.

    You posted some of the pictures from the press, picked a new profile picture, since your last one was from a dance recital two years ago, and began scrolling through a year of news and drama from your friends.

    Loki found you crying an hour later and ran to your side. “Y/N, what’s wrong?” he asked, concerned and looking for what could have made you cry. You shook your head, nothing was wrong.

    [Happy tears] you signed quickly.

    “I don’t understand,” he told you softly, settling himself on the couch next to you.

    You pointed at your laptop screen. -Y/N! You’re alive!- was the single message there.

    You tabbed over to the word doc you left open on your laptop and typed out an explanation to your worried Loki. -My best friend, Sammi. All of our friends called, IMed, messaged, and did everything they could to wake her up to tell her I was back. Someone actually called her house phone and woke her dad so he would wake her. That kid is grounded for the next year for waking the police chief, but she got up at 3am. For me-

    Your silent words couldn’t convey how shocked you’d been that your friends would do that, or how much it meant to you that Sammi jumped out of bed at 3am to talk to you. You had expected to be rejected for being gone for a year. You hadn’t been expecting this.

    “Of course they did, darling,” Loki smiled and kissed the top of your head, reassuring himself that you were ok while being adorable. “You should answer your friend...” he added, noticing that you hadn’t responded. You nodded and set the laptop on the coffee table.

    [I’m going to call her. Can you move out of the camera shot?] He nodded and moved to his usual spot on the couch. Somehow Lokibear ended up in his lap while he read a book, pretending not to eavesdrop on your conversation.

    You shrugged on your hoodie before opened the videochat and pressed the call icon next to Sammi’s picture, praying she would actually answer. She answered immediately. “Y/N!” came her shriek through the speakers.

    “Sammi! It’s 3am!” Came her dad’s voice from somewhere in the background. You knew he was yelling from his bedroom, which was just down the hall from Sammi’s. You couldn’t help laughing.

    “Dad, my best friend is back from the dead, let me talk to her!” Sammi shouted in the direction of her dad’s room. Sammi’s dad came bursting into her room a moment later.

    “Y/N?” he asked, looking at you through her computer.

    You nodded [Good morning, Chief Morgan. I’m sorry I called so early, sir. Sammi was worried] you signed the words carefully. He looked so relieved.

    “We were both worried about you, kid. You’re really ok? I saw the news,” you nodded.

    “Dad! Get out of here and let me talk to her,” Sammi whined, shoving her dad out of the way of the camera.

    “Come visit as soon as you can,” Sammi’s dad added before Sammi could shove him out of the room.

    “Y/N, I can’t believe it! We thought you were dead. Your mom told us you were taken by the feds, but we didn’t hear anything else after it happened!” she automatically signed along with her words, even though she knew you could hear. It was how she learned to sign, so she still had the habit. However, when you were out in public and wanted a private conversation, she was perfectly capable of signing without speech.

    Your hands flew in an explanation, telling her everything that had happened, everything including the scars and why you had them. Sammi knew about your powers, it was only fair she got to learn about the newest one you had. You showed her the scars after confirming her dad wasn’t in the room. She gasped in horror.

    “Gods, Y/N!” You waved off her concern.

    [I’m fine now] you told her before you slipped the hoodie back on.

    “So who’s the hottie you were in all of those pictures with?” she abruptly changed the subject and made you blush. Typical Sammi jumped straight to the hottie once she confirmed you were back from the dead and relatively ok.

    [Loki] you signed with a smirk.

    “It really was Loki?!”

    You nodded [He’s here] you added innocently and quickly before Sammi could say something stupid.

    “Prove it!” she demanded. You rolled your eyes and poked Loki’s leg to get his attention. Not that he wasn’t paying attention, but he was pretending he wasn’t until he was invited to the conversation.

    [Smile] you signed at him, while Sammi squeed with excitement. He huffed and looked put-upon. He didn’t like being nice to strangers who might be mean to him and threw walls up around himself as a defense. [Be nice to my friend] you scolded him. He rolled his eyes, but smiled for you. You turned the computer so Sammi could see him through the camera.

    “Are you sure that isn’t just someone who _looks_ like Loki?” she asked, the damn instigator. You quickly turned the laptop back away from him.

    [I’m sure] you signed.

    “I’m not,” she replied and rolled her eyes.

    [Sammi, stop trying to make him perform tricks on demand. He’s my boyfriend, not a circus animal] you signed quickly, throwing anger into your expression and sharpness to your movements. You weren’t _really_ angry with her, annoyed yes, but also thrilled that you had picked right back up in your friendship like nothing had changed.

    “Boyfriend!?!” she squealed. You flushed.

    [Boyfriend] you confirmed. [Don’t tell mom. Fuck. Don’t talk to mom. I haven’t called her yet]

    “You better call her soon,” Sammi told you. You nodded.

    [As soon as she’s awake]

    “When are you coming home?” Sammi demanded, the question bursting out of her. She’d been fighting off making the demand the entire conversation, but couldn’t anymore.

    You shook your head. [I can’t, Sammi. I have to live here] You couldn’t move back home, and somehow this crazy tower full of freaks and misfits felt almost more like home than home had been.

    “Surely you can come visit at least?” she pouted.

    [I’ll come visit as soon as I can] you promised. The call ended there and you shut your laptop, emotionally exhausted from the conversation. You were dreading the call with your mom. That was going to be even worse.

    [Sorry about Sammi...] you signed to Loki when he looked up from his book. He was still looking defensive and a bit hostile. He finally softened when you moved closer to him on the couch.

    “Thank you for defending me,” he finally said softly. You laughed at the absurdity of that statement. Loki was the last person who needed defending from anyone. Your laughter cut off when you realized he was serious.

    [Protect you from Sammi? She’s a teenage girl, I think you could win in a fight]

    He laughed at that and you smiled that he was finally relaxing back into your friend and not the hostile stranger. “There are many who would have tried to force or coerce me to flaunt my abilities rather than tell off their friend,” he explained softly, his voice bruised.

    [Those people are stupid. Sammi didn’t mean any offense. She’s just...Sammi] you added quickly.

    “I believe you. She is definitely an...interesting... friend,” he smiled. Interesting was definitely an apt description of Sammi.

    [Will you wake me at 8 if I’m not up by then?] you asked, fighting back a yawn. Tonight’s midnight adventure was emotionally exhausting and you needed rest before facing your mom. She was going to be so much worse.

    “Of course. Are you staying down here?” he asked, holding his arm away from his body in open invitation to cuddle up against him. You nodded and curled yourself in his arms. He returned Lokibear to your arms, tucked the couch blanket around you, and started reading poetry to you as he stroked your hair.


	10. Chapter 10

    “How come she can’t sleep through the night, but can sleep through all of the racket of Clint making breakfast?” Tony demanded from nearby, his overly loud voice making you bolt upright. Loki wrapped his arms around you before you could panic, or worse.

    “Tony!” Cap snapped at him, seeing your shocked-scared expression. “Don’t startle the sleeping siren unless you want to end up unconscious until next week,”

    “That would be an improvement,” Nat commented, taking a plate from Clint. “Come get breakfast, you two,” she called over to your couch. You extricated yourself from Loki’s arms, carefully set Lokibear on the couch where he’d be safe, and made your way to the dining room with your laptop. You heard Nat’s snarled whisper “Stark, whatever the hell you decide to do for fun’s sake, do not dare touch that teddy bear. Don’t even think about it. I don’t _even_ want to think about what will happen if you make the siren cry.”

    Loki caught up to you and wrapped an arm around your shoulders. You smiled up at him and he leaned down to kiss the top of your head. He pulled out your usual dining room chair for you and you set your laptop beside your plate, intending on calling your mom as soon as you’d finished eating. Clint had made french toast today. Cap told you firmly to eat your breakfast and not let Loki steal it. Everyone had gathered how much Loki liked desserty breakfasts, and Clint’s french toast definitely counted since it was covered in cinnamon, powdered sugar, and syrup. You still saved him a few bites of yours anyway, not enough to get the others yelling at you, but enough to show Loki you cared. You caught the look in his eyes, showing how much he appreciated the gesture.

    You set your plate aside and opened your laptop. Loki vanished your plates and you gave him a smile in thanks. You opened the video chat program again and hesitated. You caught Nat’s attention. [Can you ask them to be quiet so I can call my mom?] you asked her. She nodded and told all the boys to shut up. You grinned at her efficient manner of shutting them up. While you still had a smile you clicked the button that would call your mom.

    She answered almost immediately, shock in her eyes. [Hi, mom] you signed shyly, unsure of what her reaction would be.

    “Y/N?” she asked softly, not quite believing. You nodded. “I can’t believe it!” she explained with tears in her eyes. “I thought I’d never see you again. I saw the news! How did you get those scars? What’d they do to you? Are you ok? When are you coming home?” she demanded without pausing for breath.

    So you started signing, ignoring that everyone was watching you as you explained your story in full. Your mom was silent for once as she watched you tell your story. It took a long time to tell her everything. Of course she wanted to see the scars for herself, so you had to remove your hoodie again so she could see. You finally ended with the answer to her last question: [I can’t come home, mom. I have to live here. These are good people. They’re going to keep me out of that place and help me learn to control my powers]

    “You can’t come home?” she demanded. You shook your head.

    [I’m sorry, mom. The feds will come for me again...] you trailed off, letting her come to the conclusion for herself.

    “Surely you can come visit at least?” she demanded. You looked over at Cap. He nodded. “Who’s there?” she had caught your look over to Cap. He stood and came around to your side of the table.

    “Captain Steve Rogers, ma’am,” he introduced himself formally when he was in the camera shot. He was the best one to do this. Your mom had a crush on him that she’d never admit to anyone. There was a reason you’d looked to him.

    “You’re the one looking after my daughter?” your mom demanded.

    “Yes, ma’am. The entire team is taking care of her after what she’s been through,” he picked up your laptop and turned it slowly around the room so your mom could see the entire team, who all waved and greeted her. Cap set the computer back down in its original spot. “There’s no reason Y/N can’t come visit. She’s not a prisoner here. We just have the resources to help her with her powers and keep her safe from the agencies who want her locked back up in that place. Tony’s already getting her set back up for school in the fall. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but this really is the best place for Y/N to live, at least right now. But like I said, there’s no reason she can’t come visit; we can even bring her by today if you’d like...”

    “You do that, Captain Rogers,” your mom answered before turning back to you. “I expect you to bring all your housemates and they’re staying for lunch. Don’t forget to invite Sammi, too. How many extra places do I need to set?” she was back in her no-nonsense mood.

    [7 plus Sammi] you signed back after making sure you’d counted everyone.

    “I’ll see you soon. I love you,”

    [I love you] You closed your laptop with a heavy sigh. [Sorry] you signed to the group. They had just gotten dragged to dinner with your mom.

    “It’s no problem, kid,” Tony replied with an actual smile. “We can play nice with the civilians for a few hours.” You realized that he was in his element in this. So were most of the team, besides Bruce and Thor. Thor would be excused for any missteps because he was Thor. Even Loki would be in his element for this. For the rest, this would probably be the easiest mission they had been on in a long time.

    [Thank you] you replied shyly.

    “C’mon everyone, time to put on the ‘impress the parents’ clothes,” Nat announced, standing and clapping her hands. You grinned and got to your feet. You needed to change too. You pulled out your phone on the way to text Sammi and let her know you were going home and she had to come over.

    “So what kind of clothes will impress your mother?” Loki asked in your ear as you headed back to your rooms, Lokibear and your laptop held securely in your arms. You shrugged and Loki took your burdens from you. “I mean it, darling,” he added softly. “I would like for your mother to like me,”

    [She will like you by how you treat me, not by what you wear] you finally answered. She wasn’t going to like that you were dating Loki regardless, but it wasn’t her decision. You also knew that she wouldn’t openly oppose as long as he was treating you right.

    *

    Soon everyone was dressed nicely and piled in two of the SUVs and Jarvis was reading out directions to the address you had plugged into your phone. You were the most underdressed, in capris, a ruffled tank top, and a light jacket, but you weren’t the one trying to impress your mom. You should’ve just told everyone to come in costume and be done with it. That would’ve looked no more strange than the two SUVs filled with men in dress clothes plus Nat in a dress pulling up to a normal house in suburbia.

    The closer you got to home, the more you were twining your hands with nerves. The nerves got so bad that you were digging your nails into your skin as you watched the familiar streets pass by through the window. Loki placed his hand in yours, offering his in sacrifice so you didn’t draw blood from your own hands and start speaking prophecy. You gave him a grateful nod and held his hand tightly, but kept your nails out of his skin, though it took effort. “It will be alright,” he promised you, softly. You nodded, but weren’t quite convinced.

    The SUV’s pulled up in front of you mom’s house and all of the Avengers started to pile out of them. Loki came around and opened the car door for you. You took his hand and let him help you out of the SUV. You didn’t drop his hand as you walked up the familiar path to the front door. He gallantly didn’t complain when you held on to his hand too tightly and didn’t comment on how you weren’t succeeding in hiding your nerves from anyone.

    You needn’t have worried. Your mom came barreling out of the house and you dropped Loki’s hand quickly before he was tackled in the hug you received. “Y/N!” your mom exclaimed, unable to get any other words out she was so excited and relieved to see you. You hadn’t appreciated just how much she had thought you were dead or never getting out of that place until you saw her relief at seeing you again. You held her just as tightly, not appreciating how much you had missed her until this moment.

    Thirty seconds later your hug was interrupted by your idiot brother deciding he needed to join it. By join it, you meant rip you from your mom’s arms and spin you around while calling you an idiot for being gone so long. You smacked him for his stupidity, though you knew he was joking. He was glad to see you, for all that he was annoying. He dropped you and stared when he saw who you’d brought with you.

    “You’re really living with the Avengers?” he demanded while you kicked his shin for dropping you so hard. You stepped towards your housemates to make the introductions, but as per usual, your mom stepped over you and insisted on introducing herself and your brother. You saw how that irked Nat and Clint, who knew perfectly well that you were capable of doing something as simple as introductions. You shrugged at them. Your mom always overstepped you in conversations, speaking for you even among those you could speak to. You were used to it.

    You still saw that they were tempted to implement ‘Plan Z’ where Clint would sneak out his hearing aids and only sign and Nat would speak Russian and pretend she didn’t know English. Apparently, they had gotten out of scrapes before using that plan. You gave them a look behind your mom’s back before they could give in to that plan.

    Loki handed your mom a bouquet of flowers when he was introduced. “Great, now I’m being outshown by an alien,” Tony grumbled softly. He hadn’t presented anything in exchange for the meal. Thor presented your mom with a bottle of wine that Loki had conjured into his hands moments before he was introduced. You smirked at their antics, especially when Tony was miffed that he had been outshown by two overly polite aliens.

    Everyone was led into the house and told to make themselves comfortable. That meant that most of them were standing near the walls trying not to break anything. Your mom dragged you away into the other room. “Let me see,” she told you firmly. You sighed and rolled your eyes, but slipped off your jacket so she could see the scars and moved your hair aside so she could see the burns on your neck.

    You saw the tears in her eyes and knew that even if you weren’t obligated to live with the Avengers, you could never live here with her again. She would never accept what had happened to you, and would always see you as crippled because of it. Where the team was trying to build you up and help you rebuild your life, she would hide you away to try to protect you. You would wither and die under her smothering, no matter how well she meant. She would always blame herself for you scars, even though there had been nothing she could have done to stop it from happening.

    You slipped your jacket back and let your hair fall back into place on when she had gotten her look, and tried not to let her reaction get to you. You started to head back to the other room where the team was talking with your brother. “Why don’t you go pack the things you want to take with you? We’ll entertain your friends,” your mom suggested. By suggested, you meant ordered, so she could interrogate your friends without you around.

    You nodded, waved to your friends to make sure they knew you were ok and walked up to your room, looking over the familiar pictures on the walls as you did. “Are you alright, darling?” Loki asked softly from behind you when you had reached the top of the stairs. You spun around and gasped. You hadn’t heard him follow you. On impulse you reached out to touch his arm, to make sure this wasn’t an illusion. He chuckled. “The illusion is downstairs being polite to your mother,” he explained. You grinned at him and took his hand to lead him to your room, the last one at the end of the hall. “Love, you didn’t answer me. Are you alright?”

    You nodded brusquely and dropped his hand to answer him. [It’s hard being back here. I love them, but mom...can’t accept me] he opened his mouth to question that statement. You shook your head. [Later]

    “Very well,” he replied, obviously seeing how hard this was for you. He held his arms open for you, offering a hug. You took his offer, resting your head on his chest for a moment. “It will be alright, darling,” he told you softly. You nodded and extricated yourself from his arms. You had things to do. You opened the door to your bedroom and just stared for a moment. It was home. Your mom hadn’t changed a single thing from the way you’d left it, though she’d obviously cleaned the destruction of the night you were taken.

    You got Loki to get your suitcase down from the top of your closet and began filling it with things you needed to take with you. Loki looked extremely innocent when you kept throwing things into the suitcase and it never got full. You grinned at him in reply. You made sure to pack your ballet things, your personal copies of your favorite books, and some of your favorite clothes, even though they didn’t fit anymore. You also made sure to pack some knickknacks, and most importantly, Sammibear.

    “Is that everything?” Loki asked, looking around your room in disbelief. You were leaving most everything behind.

    You nodded. [Everything important]. He picked up your suitcase before you could and carried it downstairs for you. You watched amused as his illusion got up from the couch and rushed over to the stairs.

    “Darling, let me get that for you,” Loki said loudly as the illusion vanished. When your mom turned to look, Loki was ‘taking’ the suitcase from you. You nodded a thanks to him and let him pretend to take the suitcase from you.

    “Hi, Mrs. YLN!” came a voice from the door as Sammi barged in without bothering to knock. She never did. She ran to you the second she saw you and tackled you in a hug. You both would’ve ended up on the floor had Loki not caught you and kept you on your feet. He winced at the unholy high excited shrieking that came from Sammi. She was just so excited to see you again and teenage girls could make the most annoying noises when they were excited.

    “You’re really here!” she exclaimed and hugged you yet again. You linked your arm with hers and led her into the living room to meet the Avengers. She demanded signatures from every single one of them and stepped on all of their toes so hard that they finally relaxed. Sammi was a tornado and had that effect on people. Loki calmly set your suitcase by the door.

    [Did you tell your mom about Loki yet?] she signed at you, checking to make sure your mom couldn’t see first. You shook your head, then gave Loki a questioning look to see if it had been mentioned.

    “No one has expressly said anything,” he told you. You nodded. That was probably for the best. You mom wouldn’t understand anyway.

    “You’re really going to live with them?” Sammi asked. You nodded.

    [I have to, and I can’t live here, Sammi] you replied. You stripped off your jacket yet again. [Mom can’t deal with this. She can’t deal with me. She tries, and she means well, but she can’t. Don’t look at me like that John, you know I’m right. Mom will lock me in my room forever to keep me safe] you added the last part to your brother who was not only staring at your scars, but looking like he was going to protest your accusation.

    “You’re right,” he finally admitted. “But you know you’re going to have to visit,” you nodded. You could deal with visiting.

    Lunch would have been awkward had it not been for Sammi. The team had taken an instant liking to her and they spent most of the time answering her barrage of questions. They were also amused by her interrogation of your boyfriend, who submitted to the interrogation graciously. You didn’t even have to remind him not to stab the mortals. Thankfully, your mom seemed to accept that you were in good hands with this group of misfits.

    You were grateful when lunch ended. The boys gathered up the dishes and pretended to wash them while they really convinced Loki to magic them clean and put them away before your mom saw. Clint bribed him with and entire chocolate cake for himself, at which time, Loki gladly used magic to clean the kitchen and make all of the boys look good.

    “That was fast,” your mom commented in the tone that said she clearly didn’t believe the boys had done the job properly. She went to check their work and Loki snuck a quick kiss while her back was turned. You pointed a finger at him, warning him to behave. “That is impressive,” your mom told them, truly surprised that her kitchen was that clean.

    You were even more grateful when Cap announced that you all needed to get back to the tower. You had to promise to visit again soon and you promised Sammi you’d figure out how to invite her over to the tower. Loki put your suitcase in the car while you were having your last round of hugs goodbye. After a last tackle by Sammi, which again was only thwarted by Loki’s quick actions, Loki helped you climb back into the SUV and closed the door behind you. “I think that boy likes her,” you heard your mom comment to your brother while Loki walked around the SUV to get in the other side. You couldn’t help giggling at your mom’s oblivious reaction.

    “That was an experience...” Nat commented from the front seat. You nodded, exhausted, and scooted over to the middle seat so you could lay your head on Loki’s shoulder.

    [She means well...] you signed, hesitantly

    “She’ll never understand you. She’ll always mean well,” Nat started, but saw your expression and stopped. “You figured that out already.” You nodded.

    [She’d smother me trying to keep me safe and hidden from the world]

    Nat nodded. “You’d better get your afternoon nap in on the drive home. We start working on your powers when we get back.” You huffed at her, but settled yourself more comfortably in Loki’s arms and closed your eyes to at least rest those and try to settle your emotions before you had to work on your powers.


	11. Chapter 11

    Despite all of your protests that this was a terrible idea you ended up in one of the training rooms with Cap, Tony, Nat, Clint, Thor, and Loki. Everyone was back in casual clothes and had gathered cushions and pillows for this exercise. Bruce had been excluded from this activity. Everyone decided it was safer if he weren’t compromised by your powers. So he was playing by himself in his lab and was probably much happier, though everyone was super curious about your abilities, so they were all excited to see what you could actually do. All that most of them knew was that your voice was dangerous.

    “Y/N, we have to see what your powers can do before we can start helping you learn to control them,” Cap reminded you in ‘team mom’ voice when you hesitated at the door to the training room. Your hands started to fly through another protest, but Cap cut you off. “No one is going to be upset for whatever happens. Even Tony. We’re the ones asking you to do this, we’re not going to be upset with the results,” he reminded you. Again.

    You sighed and let yourself be herded into the training room. “We don’t know much about your abilities,” Nat told you gently. It was intimidating to be surrounded by all of them watching you for answers.

    [I have three powers that I know of] you started. You explained quickly about how your speech hurt or knocked people out, your singing entranced them, and of course you spoke prophecies.

    “Well, let’s start with option number one then,” Clint quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

    [You might want to sit down] you told them. They all settled on the cushions and looked at you expectantly.

    You tried to think of something to say, but everything sounded lame in your head so you pulled something you’d had to memorize for English: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date” Clint and Tony were the first ones to drop when you spoke. They were the most human. Your words were soft, but before you’d even finished the sonnet, everyone was passed out on their cushions. Thor and Loki had lasted the longest, but even they couldn’t fight forever. You sighed and sat down on one of the cushions while you waited for them to recover. They were just unconscious, not hurt, not this time.

    “Shakespeare would knock anyone out,” Tony grumbled when he and the others finally stirred a couple minutes later, though Loki was protesting that he liked it. They were all rubbing away the migraines too. You had tried to warn them this was a stupid idea. “Pick something else,” he continued. You rolled your eyes at his ridiculous reaction.

    “Try again,” Cap bid you gently. He was analyzing something about what had happened.

    You nodded and opened your mouth to recite something else, sitting cross-legged on your cushion. “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” Though your words were barely above a whisper, and they fought it valiantly, it still only took a couple sentences to knock them all out again. You were looking down at your lap when they came to again. You hated doing this, even though they’d asked for the demonstration. Tony opened his mouth to say something, but Nat hit him hard with a pillow to shut him up.

    “So what happens if you actually raise your voice?” Nat asked. You shook your head, horrified by that idea.

    “We need to know,” Clint told you. You shook your head more emphatically. That was a _terrible_ idea.

    “Y/N,” was all Cap had to say.

    [This is a horrible idea] you protested. Again. Why couldn’t they see how awful this was.

    “C’mon, Y/N, one blood-curdling scream. All teenage girls know how to make that scream. Your friend Sammi sure did,” Tony prodded, trying to spark your temper into making you do it.

    You glared at them for forcing you into this situation, but took a deep breath and let out a blood curdling scream that would have done any horror movie victim proud. You only let the noise last a moment. A moment was all it took. You left the room while they were unconscious again to go get the first aid kit. You hadn’t hurt them too badly, but their ears were bleeding and they would have killer headaches. Had you kept it up, things would be a lot, lot worse than a little blood.

    “I should not have asked for that,” Tony groaned when he came to. You were passing out wet wipes so everyone could clean the blood off their ears and pain meds to fix the migraines.

    [No. You should not have] you signed grumpily. You hated this and it was grating on your soul to keep hurting your friends. Loki gave you a reassuring hug, rubbing your back and petting your hair until you calmed, even marginally. You wouldn’t calm completely until you were out of here.

    “I think we got the idea,” Nat said quickly, coming to your defense. You shot her a grateful look. “Don’t look so grateful yet. We still need to hear your singing,” she reminded you. You glared at her, but she was unaffected by such things. You finally accepted that they weren’t going to let you out of this.

    “One song and we’ll leave it for today,” Cap told you gently. He saw how grating this was on you, how much it hurt to do these things you couldn’t control.

    [Fine, but you all have to stand over there] you pointed to the far wall. You pulled your phone out of your pocket and found a song, fast forwarding to the refrain.

    “We can do that,” Cap said and herded the others before they could protest.

    You grabbed Loki’s arm, stopping him. “What is it, darling?” he asked softly.

    [You’ve heard my singing already. You don’t have to stay] you signed at him quickly. He had been so affected last time. You didn’t want to expose him to it again.

    He kissed the top of your head. “I will stay to support you, love,” he told you softly. “Do you want me to stand with them?” he asked, gesturing to the others.

    [Up to you. You know what this does] He went to join the others, though he gave you a kiss first. You knew his moving to join the others was to make you feel better, since you had asked them all to go. He was respecting your wishes. You stepped about halfway across the room, figuring that to be a safe enough distance. [Ready?] you signed at them, concerned. You didn’t want to do this any more than you’d wanted to hurt them earlier.

    “Stop stalling,” Tony grouched, wanting to get to his own activities for today.

    You hit play on your phone and sang along with the song. “I have died everyday, waiting for you.” Their eyes all started to glaze immediately, though Loki was the most affected. He was off the wall before you’d even finished the first line. He was fighting it, but he was losing, hard. They all were, except Nat. Nat’s eyes were hazy, but she seemed to just be enjoying the song, only taking a couple steps, just as if to better hear the words.

    “Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand more.” The boys were all off the wall, stalking towards you, unable to stop themselves. The siren’s call drew them towards you. Tony gave in almost instantly, Cap fought it, but he was no match. Thor fought gallantly and you could see his lips reciting ‘Loki’s girlfriend’ over and over again, but he clutched Mjolnir too tightly and his body moved forward anyway. He was losing the fight too. Clint kept stroking his wedding ring. He seemed confused as to why he was moving towards you, until he finally reached up to remove his hearing aids. Loki had reached you and thrown himself at your feet making small noises as he wrapped his arms around your legs. You stroked his hair softly. “And all along I believed, I would find you, time has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand years. I'll love you for a thousand more,”

    You took a breath and pushed the button on your phone again, silencing the music. They’d had enough. Nat shook it off first. “That wasn’t so bad,” she commented, then looked over the state of the boys. “What is wrong with all of you? You’re all pigs,” she snarled at them, when she realized that they weren’t just entranced, but had become aroused at your voice and song. Clint was doing fairly ok too, he’d yanked his hearing aids out before he got too swept away.

    You knelt next to Loki, pulled his head onto your shoulder and stroked his hair. “That’s no fair! We were only affected because she was singing a love song for her boyfriend,” Tony grumbled when he finally snapped out of it after Nat hit them all obside the head. Cognitive recalibration she claimed when they snarled at her. Cap was looking extremely embarrassed and mumbling apologies. Thor was the god of fertility among other things, so he was only slightly embarrassed, more that he had been affected by Loki’s girlfriend than anything. Clint refused to put his hearing aids back in, which seemed like a valid option. Tony was...Tony. None of them, besides maybe Loki, would have even thought about acting on the false desire the siren's song created. You knew that and they knew that. It was false emotions, nothing more.

    Loki blinked up at you and made a small sad noise when you stood and glared at Tony. You stroked his hair reassuringly, but Tony had made one too many jokes at your expense. “Tony...” Nat warned when she caught your expression. “I think you pissed off the siren,”

    “I’m just saying we wouldn’t have had the same reaction had she not sang a love song,” Tony backpedaled quickly. You rolled your eyes and gestured him back to the wall. You weren’t giving them a head start to reach you. They all went, except Loki who was still curled around you. You pretended you didn’t notice them adjusting their pants as they walked.

    “It’s a valid theory that song choice would make a difference,” Cap said softly, still flushed in embarrassment.

    [Loki. You should leave] you tried to tell the Loki curled around you. He just held you tighter. Against your better judgment, you let him stay.

    You picked another song from your arsenal and skipped to the last minute and a half of the song. No one could claim that the Broadway power ballad was romantic. You took a breath, pressed play, closed your eyes in concentration, and belted out the last minute of Defying Gravity, nailing the high notes. You barely noticed when Loki’s grip stiffened around your legs when you started singing again or the soft moan of desire that escaped his lips.

    When you opened your eyes again the entire group except Nat and Clint were no more than a foot in front of you, glazed eyes, staring at you in adoration and obvious...interest. Thor was still fighting hard against the pull and was the first to break it. Cap and Tony had to be hit on the head again. Tony stomped away. Cap started mumbling apologies, turning all sorts of shades of red.

    “Guys, how come it affected all of us differently?” Clint asked as he put his hearing aids back in. You knelt beside Loki again, holding him and running your fingers through his hair. “Nat, you weren’t affected at all,” he added more explanation.

    Nat shrugged. “The sirens’ call in mythology affects men. She has a lovely singing voice, but, I don’t swing that way. I’m guessing you could fight it more because of that wife of yours,” she told Clint. “And you yanked your hearing aids out before you got too muddled. Thor’s the god of fertility, of course he’s affected. And not ashamed,” Thor shrugged and didn’t look at all ashamed. You assumed it was cultural differences. “The rest of you are men, and pigs,” she shrugged.

    “And him?” Tony gestured to Loki who was curled in your arms, contentedly dazed.

    “Her boyfriend. Of course he’d be the most susceptible,” Nat surmised, looking at you for confirmation. You shrugged. The last time you sang, Loki had been called to your door, but hadn’t been more dazed than that. You’d probably stopped singing before he could be. The only other time, your brother was dazed for a minute, but hadn’t really seemed more affected than Nat. You quickly signed as much to the others.

    Loki was finally starting to snap out of the thrall of your song. [Sorry] you signed at him. He extricated himself from your arms and shakily stood. You jumped back to your feet too, concerned over him. You saw how red he turned when he finally remembered his reaction to your singing.

    “I should be the one apologizing. That was an...unseemly reaction,” he finally said.

    [Not your fault] you signed back. It was your fault for singing in front of them. You were exhausted mentally and physically from the effects of channeling powers you weren’t used to using and emotions you didn’t want to deal with.

    “I wish we could see that prophecy power of yours,” Cap commented across the room. The rest of the guys seemed to have recovered as well, or at least were mostly back to normal. “But...” he wouldn’t ask. He wanted to, you saw how much he wanted to. You knew he’d never even come that close to asking had he not been muddled from the thrall of the song.

    Loki snarled at the suggestion and had daggers in each hand a moment later. You touched his arm to calm him.

    “I’d never ask,” Cap said hurriedly.

    “I’d ask,” Tony said softly. Everyone glared at him. “We need to see all of her powers. I know none of us want to add another scar to her, but we need to see what she can do. You all said it yourselves. That’s why we’re going through all of this. We need to see her powers to know how to help her control them.”

     You nodded, knowing you really had no choice, and took one of the daggers from Loki. He let go of it so you weren’t hurt trying to take it from him. You walked over to Cap and offered it to him.

    [Once] you signed firmly, trusting him to do it. They wouldn’t say it, but they needed to see this last power.

    “No, Y/N-” He protested, refusing to take the dagger.

    You rolled your eyes at his polite reticence and turned to Nat, handing her the dagger instead. She wouldn’t want to do it, but they insisted they needed to see how your powers worked, so she would do it.

    [You all want to see how it works. One demonstration only] You stripped off your hoodie and drew the line with your finger. It wasn’t important that this prophecy was the best or clearest, so you’d directed her to the crosshatch near your shoulder. [Make the cut. Ask a question.]

    “Are you sure?” she asked, but in the no-nonsense way that said she’d do it. You nodded curtly and braced yourself for pain. You saw that Loki was being held by Thor so he didn’t rush over to try to stop this.

    “Y/N! No! You don’t have to let them do this,” Loki protested. You looked over at him and nodded. You knew that you didn’t _have_ to let them, but at the same time, you did. They needed to see this, needed to see why the government hadn’t wanted to give you up. In a sudden insight, you realized that was the real reason they hadn’t wanted to let you out of that prison. You were too precious of a commodity with your ability to speak the future. You gestured to Nat and hissed in pain when she made the cut.

    You didn’t remember speaking or the prophecy. You never did. You just blinked back the haze that came with the prophecies, wrapped your arms around yourself, barely noticing that the cut had been bandaged by someone, and left the training room without looking at any of them, your hair falling to veil your face and keep them from seeing your tears. Today had been too much, too many emotions, and you couldn’t deal with any more.

    Loki rushed over to you and turned you, pulling you into his arms before you could escape the training room. He held you to him while you sobbed into his chest, your arms wrapped tightly around his thin frame. It was too many emotions today, too much power drained, too much everything. He made soft comforting noises while he rubbed your back. “Shh, darling. It’s alright. No more tests, no more powers, no more words today.” You nodded as your tears finally slowed.

    The team told you that you did well today. They were obviously trying to make you feel better. You didn’t believe any of them. It was an awful afternoon. You powers were all terrible.

    You pushed yourself out of Loki’s arms. [I’m going to go lie down] you told him. He nodded.

    “Would you like company?” he asked. You shook your head. You needed to be alone for a little while to regain your balance and calm. He kissed your forehead. “At least let me walk you back upstairs?” he asked. You nodded and he wrapped an arm around you to walk you upstairs. You were grateful for his company and comfort. He left you at the door to your room. “I’ll be here if you change your mind,” he told you softly. You stood up on your toes to kiss him. “You’re welcome, darling,” he replied with a smile.


	12. Chapter 12

    You didn’t sleep, or even lie down like you had told them you were going to. Instead, you sat against the headboard of your bed with your knees to your chest, replaying that afternoon’s events over and over in your head. You ignored the concerned knocks and calls at your door from the others when they tried to check on you; you had actually remembered to lock the door for once.

    It was the soft polite knock and the call of “Darling?” in such a worried tone that had you off of your bed and opening the door. “I was worried about you,” Loki told you softly, in apology for interrupting the solitude you had requested. He was holding a tray with a tea set and two slices of chocolate cake. You cracked the smallest smile at his blatant bribery. “May I come in?” he asked, sounding nervous that you’d send him away. You stepped back from the door and opened it wider so he could enter. He kissed your nose as he passed you and you giggled at his antics. “ _There’s_ my darling,” his voice was relieved.

    He set the tray on your bed and settled gracefully before he began to pour the tea. “I thought you’d like some tea,”he explained as you carefully joined him on the bed, sitting across the tray from him. You had to be careful so your movements didn’t spill the tea. “Mother always brought me tea and pudding... dessert,” he clarified quickly. “When I was upset. She had an uncanny ability to know when it was needed,” he smiled fondly at the memory. “I thought...” he trailed off, unsure of his, or his gesture’s welcome.

    You nodded your thanks, your hands full with the teacup you’d lifted from the tray. His relief was nearly tangible. You both sipped on your tea and savored the delicious chocolate cake in companionable silence. [This is delicious] you commented on the cake.

    “Thank you,” he grinned. You stared at him incredulously.

    [You made it?] Loki was _not_ to be trusted alone in the kitchen. He could boil water for tea by himself and that was about it. He still had a habit of burning eggs.

    “In a manner of speaking,” he chuckled at your concerned expression. “I conjured it. I have quite a lot of practice conjuring puddings. Mother always said mine turned out better than hers,” he explained. You nodded and turned your attention back to your slice of cake, finally relaxing.

    Loki vanished all of the dishes when tea time was over. He reached out a hand to the bandage on your arm. You shrank back automatically, not wanting to display your wounds. “Let me see,” he bid you softly. You hesitated, shy and embarrassed. “Darling, please, let me see,” he implored you more firmly. You steeled yourself and shifted so he could see the bandage. He removed the bandage before you could protest and placed a hand against the wound, green magic shimmering around his hand. “Had I been thinking more clearly, I would have done this earlier,” he told you sheepishly. You raised an eyebrow. In response, he removed his hand from the wound and you saw that it was completely healed, nothing more than another scar in your collection. You grinned at him, impressed. “I only have a small amount of healing ability, but it is sufficient for a single cut.” He was still looking sheepish.

    [Sorry you were distracted]

    “It’s not your fault,” he reassured you quickly. He then chuckled and added: “I must admit that I was not expecting to come undone by one song, little siren,” he teased. You blushed, remembering his reaction to your singing. “I’m teasing, love,” he reminded you before you could apologize. “We asked for a demonstration. No one is upset by the outcome of that demonstration. Though, it took some convincing to reassure the Captain that his reaction to the siren’s song was due to his desire for women in general and not desire towards you in particular,” you nodded. That explained some of Cap’s reaction.

    Loki gentled his voice when he continued. “They’re worried about you, love. They’d like to see you. Will you come downstairs?” You hesitated, but nodded and reached for your hoodie. “You don’t have to hide,” Loki told you as he stood and offered you a hand. You were only wearing a t-shirt and jeans, nothing over your arms. “You are gorgeous, my dear. There is no reason to hide and nothing for you to feel ashamed of,” he added with a warm smile that was so earnest you couldn’t help but believe him. You took his hand and let him haul you to your feet.

    You were greeted warmly by everyone downstairs. “We ordered pizza!” Clint called. The entire group was sitting on pillows around the coffee table, eating said pizza and setting up a card game.

    “The man of iron purchased a card came for us to play!” Thor added excitedly. They waved you two over. You looked at the card game and smirked. It was the card game for terrible people. This was going to be fun. You and Loki settled on the pillows that had been left open for you and one of the boxes of pizza were passed your way. No one commented on your scars, or the afternoon’s activities. The card game was stupid and fun, though Thor was terrible out it. Everyone was surprised when you won.

    “It’s always the quiet ones,” Tony commented. You stuck your tongue out at him in reply.

    “Y/N, you did good work today, but you know we need to keep working on your powers if we’re going to help you control them,” Cap commented toward the end of the evening. You nodded, finally accepting they were trying to help, even if the methods weren’t pleasant for any of you. Loki squeezed your hand in reassurance. “We also want to test your singing on the Hulk tomorrow. Bruce agreed to it. He thought if it was distracting as we said, it might help him change back to human.” You nodded, if everyone had agreed to the test, then you’d try.

    *

    The first test of the next day was your singing vs the guys (minus Bruce who was staying out of this until the Hulk was called for his test) wearing headphones. The noise cancelling headphones and Tony’s ironman helmet both worked against your powers.

    Eventually, you, Hulk, and Loki were alone in the middle of the training room. The others were standing around the edges of the room, ready in case this went poorly, they and Loki all had the headphones on so they wouldn’t be affected. You picked Let it Go this time, choosing a nice, safe, nonromantic Disney song for this experiment. The Hulk stopped looking around the room for something to smash and stared at you instead as you sang. He had a lopsided grin on his face and such a gleeful expression, it would have been adorable had he not been an enormous green rage monster. At least he didn’t get aroused like the rest of the guys had. That would’ve been really awkward.

    It was actually going so well that everyone let their guards down. That was a mistake. A stupid mistake. Before any of you knew what was going on, the Hulk had wrapped his massive hand around you, lifted you off of your feet, and held you to his chest. You snapped your mouth shut before you shrieked in fear. “Mine!” he announced to the room gleefully.

    “Hulk, no!” Cap ordered, while Loki rushed forward to try to rescue you. Hulk wasn’t hurting you, but was holding you like a precious treasure he’d found.

    Hulk glared at Loki who stopped short with an “Oh shit.” He didn’t disappear fast enough and the Hulk grabbed his leg and began smashing him into the floor, repeatedly.

    “Puny god,” Hulk snarled at Loki, once Loki was in the floor making a pathetic dying whale noise.

    “Nat, we could really use a lullaby!” Cap shouted, somehow getting Nat’s attention.

    Lullaby. Lullaby. An idea popped in your head and a song popped into your head from watching The Lord of the Rings too many times with Sammi. “Lay down your sweet and weary head the night is falling you have come to journey's end.” _Please go to sleep, please go to sleep._ You thought while you sang. Hulk calmed again and swayed, smiling at you. “Sleep now and dream of the ones who came before,” _Please go the fuck to sleep._ The Hulk sat down, the laid down, holding you like a stuffed animal. “They are calling from across the distant shore.” His grip loosened when he turned back into Bruce, though he was dead asleep when he did.

    You ran over to Loki when you were freed of the Hulk’s grip. He groaned, sitting up in the Loki-shaped hole in the floor. “I really hate it when he does that,” Loki groaned, yanking the headphones off of his head. The rest of the group rushed over, also yanking off the headphones. You reached up to his face. He was bleeding. “I’m fine. I heal quickly,” he told you, taking your hand before you touched him and kissing your knuckles. “Are you alright?” The rest of the team was surrounding you, asking the same thing, except Tony. He was looking over his science bro.

    You nodded emphatically. “Y/N, are you sure?” Cap asked. You nodded again.

    [I’m fine. Hulk didn’t hurt me]

    “Bruce’s down for the count,” Tony announced.

    “That was a different reaction...” Clint commented.

    [I] you paused, trying to figure out how to explain. [I thought about him falling asleep while I sang] you finally signed. That got a lot of thoughtful looks from the others.

    “That may well be a clue, but I think we’ve all had enough excitement today,” Cap said. You nodded, not feeling up to anymore tests today. You stood and offered Loki a hand to haul him to his feet. He let you.

    “I really hate it when he does that,” Loki grumbled again as you wrapped your arms around his waist to help him from the room back to your couch in the living room. You found the first aid kit and began tending to the cuts on his face from where he’d hit the floor. “It’s really alright, darling. It’ll heal soon,” he tried to protest, but stopped when you insisted on placing butterfly bandages on the cuts on his face. You kissed each of them when they were placed and Loki really stopped arguing then.


	13. Chapter 13

    “Where are you going?” Cap asked a few weeks later when you grabbed one of the sets of car key’s from Tony’s wall of keys to cars he was willing to lend out to the team. You just gave Cap a look and rolled your eyes. Obviously you were going out. “I’m not trying to stop you,” he added quickly, “just want to know where you’re going,” you sighed and put the keys in your pocket. You were under Cap’s guardianship, technically the Avenger’s guardianship, but that really just meant Cap’s. Since the government was keeping a stupidly close eye on what you did so they could rearrest you and use your powers... well of course Cap wanted to know what you were up to when you were out of the tower.

    [The store. Sammi is coming over tonight and we need food besides Thor’s poptarts] you explained quickly.

    He nodded. “Take Loki with you,” he told you firmly. You rolled your eyes at him.

    [I don’t need a babysitter] you reminded him bravely. You weren’t going to be held prisoner in the tower, that was only barely better than your mother hiding you away, though it was fantastically better than the prison.

    “No, you don’t,” he agreed kindly, “but I’d feel better if you took someone with you. People know about your prophecy powers and I don’t trust it to only be people we can trust. It’s not difficult to snatch one of us off of the street, yes even in the middle of a perfectly safe Sunday, but it’s harder to take two. Besides, Loki’s getting on Tony’s last nerve.” You nodded, unable to argue with Cap’s logic, and went to go find where Loki was annoying Tony. It wasn’t hard. They were both in Tony’s lab.

    “My way is better,” Loki was saying with a smirk, pointing at Tony’s screen where he’d obviously been making corrections to whatever Tony was working on.

    “You’re a magician, go away and leave the science to me,” Tony growled in reply.

    “Science and magic are one and the same in Asgard,” Loki replied pleasantly. “Besides, my way is better.” He still had his superior smirk. “Do you need me to explain it to you again?” Tony just growled snarled something completely uncomplimentary in reply. You giggled and knocked on the door to the lab to get their attention.

    “Please tell me you’re taking reindeer games far, far away from here,” Tony turned his growl on you.

    You nodded in reply. [I’m going out. Cap wants me to take someone with me] you explained when Loki raised an eyebrow. [It’s fine if you don’t want to go. I only ask because of Cap] you added quickly. Loki was having fun annoying Tony.

    “I will accompany you. It’s no trouble,” Loki replied with a smile and came over to kiss the top of your head. You waved to Tony, who turned back to his work the moment Loki was leaving him alone, took Loki’s hand and strolled back upstairs with him. “So where are we going, darling?” he asked and leaned down for you.

    Over the last few weeks you’d found that as long as you whispered and were very careful, the Asgardians could withstand your voice. “Just the grocery store. Sammi’s coming over tonight,” you reminded him in a very careful whisper, your lips brushing his ear as you spoke.

    “And you would like to feed her something besides my idiot brother’s pop tarts?” Loki surmised. You grinned and nodded. “Can we also find something for lunch while we are out?” You agreed quickly. It was rare for either of them to actually _say_ anything, but both of the Asgardian boys were bottomless pits. If Loki was saying he was hungry, he was probably starving.

    Cap was conveniently waiting near the garage where he’d be able to make sure you were taking someone with you when you left. You waved to him and he nodded in reply, obviously relieved you were following orders. Loki held his hand out for the keys. You stuck your tongue out at him and held your hands up for rock-paper-scissors. He huffed and rolled his eyes, but agreed and you played for the right to drive, which you won. You smirked at him and climbed in the driver’s seat. [You can drive home] you placated him when he pouted. Even with the Asgardians, you usually signed, it was safer.

    The first stop was lunch at the greasy burger joint Loki wouldn’t admit he liked. You loved the place, they had the best fries in town. You waved to the familiar staff when you got there. “The usual?” the lady at the register asked. You nodded. That was one of the reasons you liked this place: they remembered you and your order. They probably didn’t have many mute girls with scars coming in with Asgardians. They also didn’t say anything or give you weird looks for your company or scars.

    Loki paid and you picked one of the tables while you waited for your food. “I like this shirt,” Loki told you, taking in your outfit. It was the middle of July now, and hot as hell, so you wore a halter top and shorts. You were still shy coming out in public with your scars exposed like this, but it was too hot to wear long sleeves. Or any sleeves. Or be out.

    [It’s hot] you whined, flushing at the compliment, even if it was of your top.

    “Yes, you are, my little siren,” Loki replied with a grin, making you flush even more. That wasn’t what you had meant and he knew it. Silly Trickster. You stuck your tongue out at him and he replied in kind. When they called the number on your ticket, Loki was the one who got up to get the order. He wouldn’t let you and you accepted the courtesy.

    After a pleasant lunch which Loki would still never admit to liking, you made your way to the grocery store.

    “Why do I have to push the cart?” Loki whined as you wandered through the aisles of the store. “And how can two little humans eat this much food?” he demanded, staring at the contents of the cart. It was full of candy, brownie mix, soda, and various other junk foods.

    You ignored his whining and glared at the freezer which held the ice cream that you knew was Sammi’s favorite. Unfortunately, it was on the top shelf, and the last container was at the very back. You opened the freezer and started to climb up on the shelf so you had a hope of reaching the container. Loki chuckled. “Would you like me to get the container, or lift you so you can reach it?” he teased. You flipped him off for teasing you about your height, but your expression told him clearly that you didn’t mean it. “That was not an option, little one,” he laughed as he wrapped an arm around your waist and hauled you out of the freezer, setting you on your feet gently. He reached into the freezer to grab the container and handed it to you. “This one, right?” he asked. You stood up on your toes and kissed him in thanks, then put it in the cart. You found the container of your favorite flavor, then you looked over the options until you saw one that you thought might appeal to Loki. He still whined about having to push the cart, but you made it out of the grocery store in one piece.

    *

    “Miss Y/N,” Jarvis announced later that afternoon. “Miss Morgan has arrived.” You jumped up from the couch to meet Sammi at the elevator. She had clearance for this floor and the floor with your bedroom. She stepped out of the elevator, dropped her bag, and hugged you with an excited shriek. You took her hand and showed her around the living room, dining room, and kitchen. She waved and said hi to Loki as you passed him on his usual spot on the couch. You touched his shoulder and kissed the top of his head.

    “Hi Sammi,” Cap greeted her in the kitchen when you entered. “Y/N, did you buy _any_ actual food? All I see is junk food,” Cap was amused more than disapproving.

    [I’m going to make pizza] you told him quickly.

    He nodded. “We have to go out. Loki will be here if you two need anything,”

    “Don’t do anything stupid while we’re gone!” Tony called. You waved at him in reply. You weren’t going to do anything stupid tonight. This was Sammi’s first time over and you wanted her invite to remain intact.

    When the team left, you led Sammi up to your room where you could both change into your pajamas for the evening. You weren’t going anywhere tonight. “He’s cute,” Sammi commented when she was dressed, looking over Lokibear, who was currently sitting on your bed with Sammibear.

    [Loki made him] you signed quickly.

    “Did you make one for him too?” she asked. You nodded and gestured to her. She followed you out of your room and down the hall to Loki’s room. “Are you sure we should be barging in?”

    You shrugged [He doesn’t mind]

    “He doesn’t mind if his girlfriend comes in his room,” she replied nervously, but followed you anyway. No one ever locked their doors around here. The teddy bear you’d made Loki was sitting on his dresser. You picked it up and took it over to Sammi, who wouldn’t move any farther into the room than the doorway. She oohed over the adorable bear, and you set it carefully back in its usual spot when she had gotten her look.

    Loki greeted you with a kiss when you reentered the living room. “I will leave you to your evening, darling. Though I would appreciate it if you would call me when the pizza is done,”

    “You can stay through the pizza,” Sammi offered graciously. “We’re going to make it now anyway.” Loki looked to you for confirmation before he accepted her offer. The three of you made your way to the kitchen to make the pizza. Loki watched fascinated from a safe distance.

    You and Sammi picked out a movie to watch while the pizzas were baking. It was an old standby of a romantic hot male actor movie. Loki rolled his eyes over dramatically. “That is why you can only stay through the pizza,” Sammi told him firmly and laughed at his reaction. “Plus we can’t talk about you if you’re in the room,” she added with her own mischievous grin.

    “Why would you talk about me?” Loki asked as he settled on the couch to watch the beginning of the movie with you two.

    “Because you’re dating my best friend? I have to make sure you’re treating her right. And hear about how hot you are.” Loki didn’t look like he really understood, but you just laughed at his reaction. “We’re female. You’re not supposed to understand,” Sammi told him, actually being nice. She was amused by his lack of knowledge of Earth. He thought about that, then shapeshifted into a female. Sammi gasped in shock. You just giggled at his antics.

    “No, I still do not understand,” he said after he’d shifted back. You and Sammi both laughed at that.

    Soon the pizzas were done and you were all eating pizza and junk food, which soon led to the decision that you needed to make brownie batter to eat out of the bowl, which Loki had never done, so he got to stay for that too. He also managed to stay through the digging into the ice cream and decided he loved the mint chocolate chip ice cream you’d picked out for him.

    Sammi decided that since he’d stay this long that he was stuck in your company. Which led to Loki sitting on the floor in front of the middle cushion on the couch while you and Sammi each braided half of his hair. You still weren’t sure how he agreed to that. Or having his nails painted. He didn’t complain and didn’t seem to mind your antics.

    The team returned while you were painting Loki’s nails black, one of his hands on your legs and the other on Sammi’s so you could paint both of his hands at the same time. Tony roared in laughter at the sight of Loki with braided pigtails having his nails painted. Luckily, you were just finishing up with Loki. Tony should have known that teasing and laughter was a mistake. Nat and Sammi dragged Tony over and Nat sat on him while Sammi painted his nails bright pink. Next time, he wouldn’t make fun of the teenage girls and Loki.

    Thor sat on the floor next to Loki, directly in front of you. You grinned, recognizing the open invitation and carefully began to braid his hair. The rest of the men escaped before they were cornered by the teenage girls. Wise men.

    Cap looked pleased by the laughter coming from the living room and more importantly you.

    Loki finally escaped after Thor’s hair was braided and Tony’s nails were painted. The rest of the team was all heading to bed or other activities which involved not being in the living room with the teenagers. You had plenty of pictures of Loki in braided pigtails on your phone. He kissed you goodnight. “Call if you need anything,” he told you before he’d leave.

    Sammi shooed him away. “Go away! We can’t talk about you while you’re here!” she reminded him. He offered her an elegant bow, which looked ridiculous with his pigtails.

    “As you wish, Lady Morgan,” he told her and vanished in a shimmer of green magic. You laughed at her shocked expression. You were used to Loki’s magic tricks by now.

    You stayed up way too late talking with Sammi, eating way too much junk food, and watching stupid movies with hot men in them. It was just like old times and was absolutely perfect. You both fell asleep in the early hours of the morning curled up on the same couch while a movie played in the background. Someone slipped into the room to check on you, turned the TV off, and covered you both in blankets. You barely stirred at the soft kiss on your forehead.


	14. Chapter 14

    Somehow even though you’d been up way too late, you and Sammi were still the first ones up. She smirked at the blanket covering her. “Wonder who put these here...” she commented. You didn’t enlighten her that it was probably Loki. The two of you took over the kitchen and made the most chocolaty sugary delicious pancakes you could. When the team came downstairs while you were cooking, they all looked nauseous at your creation. Even Loki didn’t look brave enough to try them and sweets were definitely one of his weaknesses. You took pity on the others and made normal pancakes as well.

    You all sat around the dining room table, enjoying a breakfast together for once. Sammi stepped on everyone’s toes as usual, asking questions that were none of her business, but everyone somehow answered anyway.

    “Did I pass your inspection?” Loki asked her curiously part of the way through breakfast.

    Sammi grinned at him in reply. You could see that she was tempted to tease him. “I’ll let you live. For now,” she replied.

    Loki inclined his head regally, though you could see his smirk. “That is quite gracious, Lady Morgan,” his voice and tone was formal, but his smirk gave him away as joking.

    “Miss Morgan, your father has arrived to pick you up,” Jarvis’ voice announced.

    “That is wicked cool,” Sammi commented, looking up at the ceiling where Jarvis’ voice seemed to come from.

    “Jarvis, send Mr. Morgan up here if you will,” Cap ordered while Tony was accepting the compliment on his AI creating ability.

    “Police Chief Morgan does not have proper clearance, sir,” Jarvis replied.

    “Overriden, J,” Tony told the AI swiftly and returned to his conversation with Sammi explaining all the things Jarvis ran around the tower and for the Avengers.

    You blanched when you realized that Chief Morgan was on his way up here. He couldn’t see your scars and you didn’t have time to run upstairs and get something better to cover your arms than the pajama tank top you were wearing. “Darling? What’s wrong?” Loki asked, looking at your horrified expression. You were already standing from the table to try to run up to your room anyway.

    You leaned down to whisper in his ear. “He can’t see my scars.” It took effort to keep your voice a careful whisper. You didn’t want to ask him to use magic on your behalf. Instead, you looked for something in the room, but there wasn’t anything that would be convincing.

    “Since when can you talk?” Sammi demanded as she stood from the table. Loki summoned a zippered hoodie and handed it to you. You kissed his cheek and slipped it on, realizing it was actually one of his. It was too big and comfortable and smelled like him.

    [I can talk to Loki and Thor as long as I’m careful] you signed quickly to Sammi who was still glaring at you for not telling her you could speak.

    “Why can Sammi’s father specifically not see your scars?” Loki asked softly. You sighed, there wasn’t time to explain all of this.

    [After he’s gone?] Loki inclined his head.

    “Very well.” He wouldn’t let you forget about his question.

    The elevator dinged and Chief Morgan stepped out of it into the living room. You and Sammi both went to greet him. Sammi hugged him and kissed his cheek. “Hi dad,”

    “Did you two have fun?” he asked, looking over the disaster that was the living room.

    “Lots,” Sammi grinned. The others were filing into the room to meet Sammi’s dad. Loki hung back, not wanting to draw attention to himself, especially as he was your boyfriend. He was observing the interaction, though, seeming wary of the police chief. “Y/N, do you want to do the introductions, or should I?” You gestured to her. Chief Morgan tried, but he didn’t sign well. Sammi made introductions all around and everyone shook hands.

    “Thank you for having Sammi over. She wouldn’t talk about anything else for a week. I hope she wasn’t too much trouble...”

    “No trouble, sir,” Cap replied.

    “Speak for yourself,” Tony replied, holding up his still bright pink nails. Chief Morgan glared at Tony and you saw where the trouble was, and what incorrect conclusion the police chief had jumped to.

    Thankfully Nat picked up on it too. “Tony got in the way of the nail polish when the pizzas were done. Don’t worry, sir, the girls and I made a fort in the livingroom and kicked all of the boys out after they ate all of our pizza,” she lied quickly, somehow dropping her usual demeanor into one of a younger woman than she was, one young enough to hang out with you for girls’ night, but old enough to chaperone from the dangerous scary boys. It was a flawless act and Chief Morgan believed it without even questioning her. After a few minutes of small talk, Chief Morgan insisted that he had to be going.

    “It was good to see you again, Y/N,” he said. You nodded your agreement with that statement. You hugged Sammi goodbye too tightly and she promised she’d come visit again soon. It was nice to be normal again for once.

    [Thanks Nat] you signed quickly. She’d saved all of your skins with her quick thinking. Chief Morgan wouldn’t have been happy to think that there were boys near his daughter overnight, even though none of them were remotely interested in her.

    “No problem. I didn’t want him upset over something that hadn’t happened.” You looked over the mess, stripped off Loki’s hoodie and got to work cleaning it. Graciously, the entire team helped clean up the disaster the main floor of the tower had become. Though Tony did grumble about how on Earth two little girls could make this much mess.

    “Darling, I believe you owe me an explanation,” Loki told you gently once everything was clean again.

    You sighed and nodded. [Do these anger you?] you asked him, gesturing toward the scars on your arm.

    His eyes narrowed and he nodded. “You know they do,”

    [They would anger him too] you started. His eyes narrowed further if that was possible, so you continued quickly. [He’s been a dad to me since Sammi and I became friends when we were five. There’s nothing he could do about the scars. There’s no need to anger him over something he can’t help] you were signing too fast, frustrated at your lack of ability to explain things properly. [I didn’t want him blaming you]

    “I think I understand,” Loki finally said, seeming to relax some. He pulled you into a hug. “You worried he would react like your mother, and maybe try to take you from us?” You nodded against his chest. You didn’t want to have to leave the tower, especially as you had no choice but to remain here. “I won’t let anyone take you from us, love,” he promised you softly.

    *

    “Darling?” Loki asked when he caught you tearing apart the living room frantically a few days later. There were tears in your eyes as you searched and tore apart the entire tower in your frantic search. You ignored Loki and continued on your frantic search.

    He grabbed your arms when he saw the tears and turned you to face him. “What’s wrong?” he asked you concerned. You tried to break out of his grip, frantic to return to your search. “Y/N, tell me. I can help,”

    You raised your hands and he let you go, but you could tell he would stop you if you went back to your frantic search without telling him why first. [Lokibear is missing!] you signed quickly at him.

    Your teddy bear had been missing when you returned to your room that afternoon. You didn’t remember where you could have left him. He never left your room, and usually lived on your bed with Sammibear.

    You wailed in sobs and Loki pulled you into his arms, holding you and petting your hair while you sobbed. “What’s wrong?” Cap asked.

    “What the hell happened in here?” Nat demanded at the same time, looking over the disaster you’d made of the living room, throwing all of the couch cushions all over the room, looking for Lokibear everywhere he could possibly be.

    “Hey, Y/N, this was taped to your bedroom door,” Clint’s voice announced from the elevator as he stepped into the room. He paused when he took in the scene. Nat grabbed the paper from Clint.

    “Oh, shit,” she said as she stared at it.

    “What is it?” Loki asked, glaring over at the piece of paper while he was still trying to calm your tears. Nat tried to hide the paper, but there was suddenly a clone of Loki in front of her, holding a hand out demanding the paper. She handed it over, wisely not arguing with the god. “Stark,” he snarled, crumpling the paper. You shoved out of the real Loki’s arms to snatch up the piece of paper.

    It was a ransom note for Lokibear demanding you make the pasta dish he loved in exchange for the bear’s safe return.

    Tony burst into the room laughing, which was a terrible mistake. He saw your tears and the disaster the living room was in and knew his joke had gone horribly wrong. “Y/N, I’m sorry, it was a joke. The bear is in my lab, perfectly safe,” Loki was on him in an instant, holding him off the ground, his hand cupping Tony’s face.

    “Loki-” Thor started to warn as he came into the room too.

    “He made Y/N cry,” Loki snarled, holding the struggling Tony up higher.

    “It was a joke,” Tony struggled to say, holding onto Loki’s arm to try to get leverage so he could breathe.

    Bruce kept Tony from being thrown through the window by appearing in the room carrying Lokibear. You ran over to him and took the bear from him. “Found this in the lab,” Bruce said as he handed over the bear. “I thought he was yours,” he added kindly when he saw how tightly you clutched the bear.

    “Stark, I thought I warned you to leave the fucking teddy bear alone,” Nat snarled at him. Loki was still holding him off of the ground.

    “Someone help?” Tony struggled. No one moved to help him. They were all scared of Loki in this mood.

    “Loki,” Thor said more firmly this time, taking a step towards Loki. “Put Stark down. It was a joke. Stark has already apologized, and I am sure he will make it up to Lady Y/N.”

    “He made Y/N cry,” Loki snarled again, not convinced. Thor gave you a pleading look. Despite how Tony had hurt you, you had to save him now. If not, Loki was going to be in a lot of trouble for whatever he did to Tony in retaliation. You stepped over to Loki and touched his arm lightly. He looked down at you, concerned. You raised Lokibear with a grin to show him. He dropped Tony and hugged you. “Are you alright, darling?” he asked softly. You nodded.

    “Stark, do not touch that bear again,” Cap ordered firmly as Thor helped drag Tony away from the situation. Both of them threw you grateful looks for diffusing the bomb that was Loki.

    [Come lie down with me?] you asked Loki. He kissed your forehead.

    “Of course,” you took his hand and led him upstairs with you to lie down for a nap. You would get a nap, Loki would cool his temper, and Tony would get some sense knocked into him by the others.

    *

    A few weeks of ballet lessons with Nat, cramming and entire school year’s worth of material into your head so you didn’t have to be held back a year, training your powers, dates and adventures with Loki, and visits with Sammi passed and soon it was the middle of August, only a couple weeks before classes started.

    During the worst heat wave of the summer, the AC in the tower decided to go out. Tony swore up and down that he was going to have it fixed that night. Everyone melted all day, but Loki looked the worst of all. He barely ate anything and lethargically didn’t move from his spot on the couch.

    The AC wasn’t back on that night either or all of the next day.

    “Loki, you have to try to eat something,” Thor bid the worsening Loki as the heatwave continued. Loki couldn’t even be bribed with ice cream to eat and just growled at Thor to leave him alone.

    [Loki?] you signed at him, concerned. This wasn’t like him at all.

    “I’ll be fine,” he tried to reassure you. He was so firm about it that you didn’t press him on the issue, though you were worried.

    You did look for anything in the tower that might help.

    Clothing became extremely sparse around the tower, which would have been amusing had everyone not been so miserable. The boys were all down to nothing but shorts. Nat was down to a bra and underpants as well as a gun in a thigh holster. No one dared comment on her outfit choice for fear of getting shot. Tempers were becoming short, especially with Tony who was still insisting the AC would be fixed soon.

    After three days of no AC in the worst heat wave you could remember, you finally gave up on real clothes too, ending up wearing a slip that was probably lingerie and you had no idea how it was among your clothes, but you didn’t care. The material was thin and only went halfway down your thighs with spaghetti straps.

    You came down to the living room that morning and found Loki as a pathetic mess, facedown on your couch in the living room, making the same pathetic dying whale noise he’d made when Hulk had smashed him into the floor. He looked fevered and so very miserable. You went to his side and touched his forehead. He just mewed at you pathetically. He was burning up, but you found it was all of him, not just his forehead. Heat was radiating off of him.

    “Loki,” Thor said softly, worried. Loki looked up enough to growl at Thor, before his face fell back onto the couch. You brushed his hair back from his face and tied it up for him so it was at least off of his neck. It didn’t help enough. You went to the overworked freezer and gathered up the couple of ice cubes that had been made. Everyone was using up the small supply the poor freezer was managing. You placed them in a sandwich bag which you placed on the back of Loki’s neck. He actually purred in relief. You yanked the bag away with a small noise when you saw his skin turning blue under the ice. He whined when you did, sounding even more pathetic. “What’s wrong?” Thor asked you. You pointed to the blue spots on Loki’s neck. Thor chuckled. “Loki has apparently not bothered to tell you-”

    “Shut up, Thor,” Loki growled weakly.

    “Eat something and I will,” Thor replied pleasantly, but his voice was worried over the state of his brother. Loki hadn’t eaten more than a few bites of ice cream in days and you hadn’t seen him use a drop of magic in that long. Loki didn’t answer that, so Thor turned back to you. “Loki was adopted. His biological parents are frost giants. He has never been able to stand the heat, though our summers on Asgard were never this bad. He used magic back home to mimic the air conditioning you have here and hid in his chambers through the couple hottest weeks of the summer every year.” Loki tried to growl at Thor, but the noise was a pathetic moan. You placed the bag of ice back on Loki’s neck.

    [Watch him?] you signed at Thor. He nodded.

    “What are you going to do?” Thor asked. You shook your head, but had an idea. You stood from Loki’s side. He moved enough to grab you arm.

    You smiled at him and knelt down to whisper in his ear “Shh, love. It’ll be ok. I’ll be back in a minute,” you told him. He gave you a wan smile and let you go, his face collapsing back onto the couch.

    It only took a few minutes to find what you were looking for. You had been looking for it for days, and finally checked the last room out of necessity. You came back to Loki and Thor excitedly when you found it. “Did you find something that will help?” Thor asked you when he saw your expression. You nodded and went to Loki to begin hauling him to his feet. “Let me,” Thor told you, pushing you gently out of the way before you hurt both yourself and Loki, who was in no shape to help either of you move him. Thor lifted Loki carefully over his shoulder.

    “Thor. Put me down. You’re a furnace,” Loki whined. You took Thor’s hand and dragged him to the elevator. You ended up a minute later on the lowest level of the tower and led Thor down the hall to the room you’d found at the end of the hall with a giant steel door. “Brother~” Loki’s voice was small and pathetic, sounding more like a child begging his older brother for help than whatever Loki was actually intending. You hauled the giant door open and gestured Thor inside quickly. He rushed in when he felt the chill in the air inside the room.

    “What is this place?” Thor asked once you were both inside. He set Loki down gently on the floor in the corner of the room furthest from the door. You knelt beside Loki and tucked back the strands of hair that had fallen into his face. He leaned on you and soon ended up laying with his head in your lap. You petted his hair absently.

    [The server room. Jarvis lives here] you signed to Thor quickly. [It has to be cold or Jarvis will die] It wasn’t a proper explanation of all of science behind the computer needing to be kept cold, but it explained why this room was a freezer, almost literally.

    “I will go get supplies. Will you be alright?” Thor asked, accepting your explanation. You nodded and continued petting Loki’s hair. He was already looking better after only a few minutes in this frozen room. You shivered, but wouldn’t leave Loki, not in the state he was in. “I will be back soon. Thank you for this.”

    Thor left and Loki made a soft noise. You stroked his hair and bare shoulder until he relaxed again, nearly asleep.

    Bravely, you leaned down to whisper in his ear. “I love you,”

    It was the first time you’d said the words to anyone in seven years.


	15. Chapter 15

    It didn’t take long for Thor to return. He was carrying a blanket, a plate piled with sandwiches, and the book you had been reading. He handed you one of the blankets after he’d set everything down. “Spread that on the ground. There’s no need for you to sit on the hard concrete,” he told you. He lifted Loki gently in his arms, despite Loki’s small child-like protest. You spread the blanket out quickly and resettled in your spot, laying Loki’s head in your lap again when Thor laid him back down. “I should get back upstairs before the others come looking for all three of us. Loki would not wish for them to see him like this. No one will question just the two of you being missing, since that is a fairly normal occurrence. If I am gone too, they will come looking. Will you be alright taking care of him?” You could tell Thor felt bad leaving Loki’s care to you.

    You nodded. [I love him too, Thor. Besides, he won’t be upset if _I_ see him like this. He’s seen me worse] Loki saw your scars and the bruises on your soul every day.

    “Have you told him that you love him yet?” Thor asked. You blushed and wouldn’t look at him. You had just told Loki, but weren’t sure he was actually awake enough to comprehend what you’d said.

    [Once...] you signed slowly.

    Thor’s expression fell. “Did he not return the sentiment?” Thor’s voice was gentle and kind. “I am sure he loves you as well. He was never good at expression such emotions...”

    You gestured to Loki. [I don’t think he heard me] you tried to smile, but you had to admit to yourself that you were worried about what Loki really felt. He hadn’t said the words either. You knew logically that he loved you, all of the little gestures and courtesies he gave you all the time told you clearly enough. You knew better than anyone that words weren’t the most important thing.

    “You know he cares for you,” Thor told you gently. You nodded and made a shooing motion. He laughed and stood. He kissed your forehead before he left. He had adopted you as family, just as all the Avengers had. “Call if you need anything,”

    Loki’s skin finally started to cool in the freezer room as you stroked his hair and read your book. You were shivering, but refused to leave Loki alone. Besides, shivering was better than the heatstroke everyone was suffering. Loki finally stirred a long while after you’d found this room for him. “What’s going on?” he asked, confused, sitting up and looking around the unfamiliar room. You touched his arm so he would focus on you.

    [The heat got to you] you explained.

    He looked ashamed, then when he understood what your words meant. “I’m sorry...”

    [No need to be sorry] you signed quickly. He was still confused, so you explained the state you’d found him in that morning, what this room was, and what Thor had told you about Loki’s heritage.

    “I’m sorry you had to find out like that. Thor should not have been the one to tell you, but my heritage never seemed important enough to bring up,” he said softly, embarrassed. You saw the bruised look and shame in his expression and pulled him into a hug.

    When he finally calmed again you signed [We just need to make sure the AC doesn’t go out again] and giggled at him.

    He sighed. “Yes, that was unpleasant, especially since the heat drained my magic before I could do anything about it. But there is more...” he hesitated. You waited patiently. He sighed. “You deserve the truth,” he hesitated a moment longer, but steeled himself. His form shimmered and suddenly his skin was dark blue, his eyes blood red when he opened them again. The form was foreign, alien, but he was your Loki, even like this he had a strange beauty. You moved over to him and kissed him lightly. He hesitated, nervous, worried, but sank into the kiss, when it was clear you weren’t just kissing him to make him feel better, but because you loved him and wanted to kiss him.

    You finally broke the kiss and went to get the plate of sandwiches. Loki’s form shimmed back to his usual Asgardian form. You handed Loki the plate of sandwiches firmly. He hadn’t eaten in days. You watched him devour the entire plate of sandwiches, except the one he insisted you eat. “Darling, it is way too cold in here for you, especially in that wonderful outfit,” he told you when he finally caught you shivering. You shrugged, but blushed when he commented on the thin slip you were wearing. Loki focused and summoned another blanket to hand to you. You realized his magic was still weak when it took that much focus to summon a blanket.

    When Thor returned to check on you, he found you and Loki curled up together in the blankets. Loki was curled around you as the big spoon, your head rested on his arm as a pillow, his other arm draped protectively over you.

    “Go ‘way Thor,” Loki growled softly when Thor’s chuckle stirred him.

    “I am glad you are doing better, brother,” Thor replied, sounding truly relieved.

    *

    Tony got the AC fixed the next day so you were finally able to come out of seclusion in the server room. Your school schedule came in the mail and you dragged Loki out to the store with you to buy supplies for the year. You were looking forward to getting back to a normal life, but you were nervous too, and also feeling sad that you weren’t going to spend all day every day with Loki once classes started. You never spent that much time outside of the tower, even with Loki, but especially without him or one of the other team members. Now you were going to have to spend all day with human high schoolers and no Loki

    The day before classes started, Cap sat you down to go over the rules of your return to school. Someone on the team was taking you to school and picking you up every day. By someone he meant Loki, most likely. There was to be absolutely no use of your powers among the humans, and no telling anyone what you powers were. He especially didn’t want the kids to find out about your ability to see the future. You nodded and accepted his rules.

    Cap let you out of training for the day, so you spent the rest of the day in Loki’s room, thoroughly enjoying making out with your boyfriend. He seemed to mind oh so much.

    *

    You growled at your alarm when it went off during what was usually your morning nap time. You actually had to stick to a sleep schedule now. You dressed quickly in the nice shirt and new capris you’d bought at the store last week. It was tradition to look nice on the first day of school. After that you’d go back to your normal t-shirts and jeans.

    You were surprised Loki wasn’t waiting in the hall for you. He had insisted he was walking you to school today. You went downstairs, guessing he had already gone downstairs without you. “Good morning, darling,” he called the greeting when you got off the elevator. You dropped your bag by the elevator and followed the sound of Loki’s voice. He was in the kitchen, standing at the stove. You rushed over, concerned for whatever he was attempting to cook. He chuckled and kissed the top of your head before he handed you a plate of eggs and sausages. You grinned at him and his adorable smile of pride at his accomplishment of cooking the human way. You stood up on your toes to kiss him. “You’re welcome,” he replied automatically, used to your silent thanks after months of living with you.

    You took your usual spot at the dining room table and Loki sat across from you. You ate breakfast in companionable silence. “I will get the dishes,” Loki told you firmly before you could get up to do them. “This time,” he added quickly. It would usually be your job to do the dishes since he’d cooked. You’d never had to do them because _he_ cooked before. He wasn’t usually allowed. You giggled at him and he used magic to vanish the dishes.

    You checked your phone for the time and jumped to your feet. You had to get going if you were going to make it to class on time. “Wait a moment, Y/N,” Loki bid you softly as he stood too. You turned to face him, giving him your undivided attention since he had actually used your name for once instead of a pet name or term of endearment. “I wish to ask you for a favor,” he began hesitantly. You waited patiently for him to continue. He summoned a small box, like one that would come from a jewelry store. “Would you wear this for me?” he asked so softly and nervously that you wondered what the catch was. You took the box and opened it, finding a beautiful golden necklace inside. It was a heart-shaped locket with an image of yggdrasil on the front of it with emerald gems at the ends of yggdrasil’s branches. It wasn’t lost on you that the locket was in Loki’s colors of green and gold. You set the box down and opened the locket, figuring the reason behind his hesitation was inside. Inside the locket was a lock of his hair. You recognized it immediately. You snapped the locket back shut and looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. “Please?” he asked softly, nearly begging.

    [It’s beautiful. But why?] You unclasped the necklace to fasten it around your neck. Loki was behind you in an instant and fastened it for you while you held your hair out of the way.

    “I’ll explain while we walk,” Loki offered. You nodded and took his hand so you could walk together to the school. It wasn’t more than a mile or so walk and the weather had cooled some, so Loki wouldn’t die on the trip. You reached for your school bag, but Loki grabbed it before you could. You stuck your tongue out at him, but he insisted on carrying it. You didn’t argue with his courtesy. You didn’t have to rush and got to stroll leisurely to school with your boyfriend. You let him stall for about half the trip before you drew his attention back to the locket. “I dislike that you will be out in potential danger all day without aid in easy reach. I know you can take care of yourself, but you were already overpowered once with terrible results,” he unconsciously ran his thumb across the long deep scar that ran down the entire inside of your left arm. “If you need help, I will be able to find you and reach you much more quickly if you are wearing my token,”

    [Because it has your hair?] you signed quickly, then took his hand again. He inclined his head in agreement. His magic would be able to find the piece of himself immediately. He had explained magical concepts to you all summer, so you knew a lot of the theory even if you couldn’t do the magic yourself.

    “Exactly,” he replied with a proud smile. He hadn’t been expecting you to remember how the magic worked. You nodded and decided against arguing. It wasn’t worth his piece of mind, especially when wearing it didn’t hurt you any, plus the necklace was gorgeous.

    When you reached the entrance to the school, Loki kissed you goodbye long and deeply, as though he’d never see you again, and not just for a few hours of school. The kiss didn’t break until Sammi grabbed your arm. “C’mon, Y/N, we’re going to be late,” she grumbled at you and dragged you away from Loki. Loki pouted and you laughed while you took your bag back from him. You waved at him and linked arms with Sammi to walk into the school together.

    “I will meet you here after school, darling!” Loki called after you. You waved again to acknowledge his words and disappeared with Sammi into the school.


	16. Chapter 16

    The school was crowded and you found yourself clutching onto Sammi’s arm. “Hey, you ok?” Sammi asked you. You nodded. “It’s the crowd?” she asked. You nodded again. “They’re high school students. You can take them,” she teased. You smiled at her, grateful for her support. “I’m surprised you didn’t bring a jacket,” she commented.

    [I don’t want to hide] you signed. You wanted to get back to a normal life. That’s what you’d kept telling yourself, anyway. [Wearing a jacket in August is obvious]

    “So are your arms,” she replied. You nodded. Your arms were pretty obvious. You’d also been on the news more than once for press conferences with the Avengers. It wasn’t like people wouldn’t know who you were, and everyone probably knew your story.

    Your lockers were right next to each other and that was your first stop, where you spent time taping up pictures of your housemates, and most especially one of you and Loki. Sammi was taping up pictures in hers as well. It had become a tradition since middle school. “I missed you last year,” she said as you evaluated her work.

    [I missed you too] The bell rang a warning for everyone to get to class. You and Sammi made your way to your first class and you were thrilled you had at least most of your classes together.

    You had forgotten how awful high school could be. Kids were whispering about your scars as you passed them in the hall. It was also so loud and crowded. You didn’t remember it being like this. It got worse during your first class. You were sitting next to Sammi, signing with her about the last movie you’d gone out to see with her and Loki. People watched curious, but didn’t bother you. Yet. It was too early in the school day for them to be that brave. You did wave at a couple kids you recognized from before, but Sammi was the only one you’d considered a friend in this class.

    The bell rang for class to start and everyone quieted down when the teacher started class. “Welcome to AP English Lit. This is room 304 and I’m Ms Price. If this is not the class you’re expecting to be in, kindly leave the room now,” she gestured to the door. Some of the students chuckled. No one took her up on her offer. She she began taking attendance. You got on her bad side when she called your name. You raised your hand in response. She called your name again. “Students in my class answer with ‘here’ or ‘present’,” she told you firmly. You knew your situation had been explained to the school already. Your mom had done it freshman year, and you knew Cap had reexplained things when they reregistered you. This teacher was just being a bitch, or didn’t believe that you were mute.

    “Ma’am, Y/N is mute,” Sammi spoke up. She wasn’t afraid to stand up for you. There were a couple other students who spoke up in agreement, those who knew you freshman year.

    Somehow the vibe you got off of this teacher reminded you of Professor Snape. This was going to be a long year of AP English. “Oh, right. That was in the notes....” she backpedaled quickly. You weren’t going to trust her regardless. She collected the summer reading assignments and jumped straight into the first class discussing one of the books from the reading. You were prepared for her to ask you questions, though, even had Sammi not been sitting next to you. You already had your Stark-tech laptop open on your desk and the program open for Jarvis to read aloud whatever you typed. Other kids had laptops out too, but none of them said ‘Stark Industries’ on the back.

    By your second class of the day, the kids were getting brave enough to ask about your past and living with the Avengers. You were tired of it already. So was Sammi who was answering most of the questions on your behalf. The smarter kids started friending you on Facebook to bother you that way. “She’s not a freakshow!” Sammi yelled at one kid who’d gotten too close to asking about your powers.

    “Ms. Morgan,” the teacher of that class admonished. Nothing was going on this class after the textbooks had been handed out.

    [Sammi, it’s ok] you signed at her before she could get angry and get herself in trouble.

    [No it’s not] she signed back. You rolled your eyes.

    [They’re stupid]

    “Well duh,” she replied aloud.

    A note appeared on your desk out of nowhere.

     _I hope you are having a good day, darling_

    You smiled at it and your thoughtful boyfriend.

    You began to feel by your third class of the day that not wearing a jacket was a mistake. It would be less obvious than the attention your scars were drawing. Sammi wasn’t in this class to save you either, so you had to suffer alone.

     _School is worse than I remembered_ you wrote on the back of the slip of paper Loki had sent you. You hadn’t expected anything to happen, but the note vanished as soon as you lifted your pen from it. The silence was lonely when so very few people here knew how to sign, but people kept bothering you for their own curiosity anyway.

    There was a geek of a kid in that class you remembered from freshman year named Peter. He had learned some basic signs after meeting you freshman year and you grinned at him when he wanted to have a conversation with you to practice what he’d learned. He was so earnest and puppy-like that he was instantly your friend. He didn’t ask about the Avengers, your scars, or your powers, and that earned him brownie points too.

     _I am sorry it is difficult. I know you are perfectly capable of overcoming any obstacle in your way, my siren._ Came Loki’s reply. You smiled at the slip of paper and tucked it carefully in your pocket.

    By lunch you were exhausted and missing your usual nap. You went to your locker to drop off the textbooks you’d acquired that morning and were surprised to find a zippered hoodie in your locker. You know you hadn’t put it there. There was a note stuck to it. _Just in case ~L_ You smiled, but would have to figure out how he’d found out which locker was yours to magic a hoodie into it. You pulled the hoodie out and slipped it on, tired of all of the stares.

    “Where’d that come from?” Sammi asked indicating your hoodie when she arrived at her locker. You handed her the note from Loki in reply. “Sweet boyfriend,” she replied, handing it back to you. “You should probably claim him on Facebook soon before the guys get brave enough to start asking you out in order to meet the Avengers.” You rolled your eyes at that, but made a mental note to do just that. You actually pulled out your phone and texted Loki

    -Remind me to teach you about Facebook later- you had taught him to use his Stark-issued phone, though he rarely used it. -Thanks for the hoodie- you added quickly. -Sammi says you’re sweet-

    You had lunch with Sammi and your old friends. Peter joined you too. The entire conversation was silent, spoken in signs. You actually smiled and it felt like old times. Sure, your group was drawing attention, but it was comfortable in the group.

    “Y/N?” a teacher’s voice called from the entrance to the lunchroom. You stood, confused. The teacher came over and handed you a slip of paper. “You’re wanted in the counselor’s office,” she told you. You nodded and grabbed your bag, waving to Sammi when she tried to follow you. You could handle a counselor on your own.

    You made your way up to the counselor’s office and knocked on the door. “Come in!” bid the voice inside. You entered and took the chair on the other side of the lady’s desk, dreading whatever this was. “I’ve heard some disturbing reports about you, Miss Y/N, and it is only the first day of classes.”

    You pulled out your laptop, figuring she didn’t sign. -What reports?- you had Jarvis ask for you. She looked impressed with that tech and how human Jarvis sounded.

    “Some of the teachers and students are concerned that you’re covered in scars...” she started. You sighed heavily and rolled your eyes. You stripped off the hoodie so she could see for herself.

    -I have been on three press conferences where Captain America himself explained my scars and explained the hell I went through for a year- you typed quickly and Jarvis read your words with the perfect amount of emotion in the words. You were pissed that they were making a big deal out of this when Cap had promised everything had been taken care of. -The entire team was reassured that I would be welcome back here and there would be no issues, that I could have a normal life- You knew you were being too defensive, but you were exhausted and tired of people commenting nonstop about you, your scars, and your abilities.

    “Yes, we have heard from Captain America, but it’s not his body that’s covered in scars. I just wanted to hear from you that you’re ok,”

    -I’m fine. Thank you for your concern- You could be polite. It wasn’t easy, but you could be polite. You slipped your hoodie back on. You had to answer more polite questions that pried into your life, but you had answers prepared and she finally let you go to class. She was only trying to be helpful.

    “You ok?” Sammi asked during fifth bell study hall.

    [Not used to being awake this long]  You whined at her. You should’ve started fixing your sleep schedule earlier in the summer, but you hadn’t thought it would be so hard.

    “First day’s rough on everyone,” she reminded you kindly. She was right, though. The entire cafeteria full of students looked subdued. You opened your laptop and spent the rest of study hall video chatting with Loki. Sammi joined in too. You were surprised none of the teachers tried to stop you, but quickly realized that they didn’t know what you were doing. No one else could get a video chat program to open in the school, since they were all on the school’s wifi. You were connected directly to Javis, so you had access to everything.

    You were so relieved when classes finally ended for the day and you could go home. You waved goodbye to Sammi when you’d both left the school. Loki was waiting for you in the exact spot he said he’d be. You went to him and fwumped your head against his chest with a groan. “That bad?” he asked, taking your bag off of your shoulder. You nodded against his chest, exhausted and emotionally drained from the awful day. He wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “Come on, darling, let’s go home,” he steered you away from the school and you went with him gladly, wondering why on Earth you’d ever wanted to go back to that place. “Why was it so bad?” Loki asked as you walked.

    [People wouldn’t talk about anything but my scars or powers all day. They just kept demanding answers so I could be fodder for gossip] you signed at him, knowing you were whining.

    “It will die down when they get used to your presence,” Loki promised.

    [I hope you’re right]

    *

    You spent the afternoon teaching Loki about Facebook. He was hesitant over the stupid Midgardian waste of time, but he was amused by the team’s pages, especially Thor who was a doofus on social media. “Why do you want me to learn about this?” Loki asked again while you were setting up his profile. You rolled your eyes and sent him the relationship request.

    [Because human males are stupid] He glared until you continued. [They will think I am fair game to date]

    “Ah,” he replied and accepted the request without further hesitation.

    *

    “Y/N, we’re going on a mission that we know we’re going to need the Hulk on. Are you up to coming with us to help?” Cap asked that evening. You nodded and stood to go with them. Loki was at your side in an instant, wrapping a protective arm around you and snarling at Cap. “You’re coming too, Loki,” Cap replied instead of acknowledging Loki’s unreasonable reaction. “We’ll get you a uniform later, Y/N,” Cap said apologetically. You shrugged. You didn’t need a uniform to hide in the jet until the end of the battle and calm the Hulk down afterwards. That was all you’d be doing.

    The team met at the jet, everyone in uniform except for you and Bruce. Bruce didn’t get a uniform and you didn’t have one. This was your first mission after all.

    Cap spent the entire trip going over the plan. Your part of it was, as expected, to hide in the jet and calm the Hulk after the battle. Your powers weren’t exactly suited to helping the team in any other way. Though the comm devices they all wore during the battle would protect them from your powers. That had been tested already.


	17. Chapter 17

    The mission went exactly as planned...for once or so you’d been told. A clone of Loki stayed behind to keep you company. That’s what he said anyway. You were pretty sure he was guarding you instead, but you didn’t mind the company.

    “Siren, you’re up!” Cap called over the comm device in your ear. You got up from your seat on the jet and made your way to where the battle had been with Loki’s clone at your side. He was definitely guarding now, especially as you looked like a civilian.

    The Hulk was looking desperately for something else to smash now that the bad guys had been defeated. Loki’s clone vanished when you were close enough. The Hulk hated Loki. Hulk’s attention caught on you and he relaxed some; he liked you. You were pretty sure you were his favorite person. You smiled at him and began to sing. His attention focused entirely on you and he sat down to listen to your song. A minute later the Hulk was gone and a dazed Bruce was in his place. You rushed forward with the robe in your arms to wrap around him. His pants had survived the experience, but Bruce was shy and appreciated the gesture.

    “Thanks, Y/N. Are you ok?” he asked as you steadied him with an arm around his waist. You nodded and walked with him back to the jet. Neither of you were needed here anymore.

    “Great job today, Y/N,” Cap said after everyone was back on the jet. You nodded in reply. Everything had gone according to plan today, until Jarvis made an announcement.

    “Sir, someone took a video of Siren singing and posted it online,” Jarvis told Tony. He always addressed Tony first unless someone spoke to him directly.

    “Shit, can you pull it?” Tony demanded.

    “I’m sorry, sir. All of the news outlets have already received the video and they are airing it,” Jarvis replied. You blanched. That should not have been posted. Tony and Cap started planning out damage control, though in reality it wasn’t so bad. The world had to know about your powers if you were to continue living with the Avengers anyway. The ability to calm the Hulk was the most palatable of your powers.

    The video remained popular for weeks. Even a recording of your voice kept a very small piece of your power. You heard that a lot of parents had started using the video to get their kids to sleep.

    *

    School got better after the first day. People began to respect your silence, though it took a few weeks before they’d stop asking you to sing. Your grades were good and you earned the respect of your teachers with your work and attitude.

    *

    You went on more missions with the team over the next few months, mostly keeping back and soothing Hulk at the end of the battle. Once you used your singing for crowd control; the crowd was helpless against the siren’s song holding them in place. Once you used your newly found power of persuasion to get all of the bystanders to go home. Once you’d had to knock out the entire battle, the rioting was too bad for the team to do anything and singing wasn’t working.

    *

    Your 18th birthday came with a huge party thrown by Tony. The party room of the tower was filled with your friends and family, laughter, and fun. Plus way, way too much food and way too many presents.

    *

    You took Loki to the homecoming dance a couple weeks after your birthday. It was so much fun to dress up with him. Your dress was gorgeous and his suit was perfectly tailored. You danced with him all evening, and traded teaching him the electric slide for him teaching you to waltz. The DJ looked perplexed as to why a waltz was playing, but the kids were giddy and thought it was a silly bit of fun as they tried to do the dance.

    *

    It was all going so well until a mission where you were fighting enhanced. Hulk looked excited to see you at the end of the battle and sat down patiently waiting for your song. You smiled at him and began to sing. No one else was paying much attention. The enhanced were all contained, the battle over, and the white noise from Jarvis over the comms kept them from being affected by your song.

    None of you saw one of the enhanced fight through the haze of your song. They were all too slow when he grabbed one of the SHIELD agent’s guns and fired off a single shot. You shrieked in pain as the bullet went through your side. The wound was just a graze, but even a graze was a lot of pain, and bleeding. The entire team whirled at the sound of your shriek. The Hulk roared in rage, lunging for the enhanced who had hurt his favorite person, but even he was too late. Loki caught you before you hit the ground, cradling you to him while he threw daggers at the enhanced, killing him instantly for daring to injure you.

    Loki lowered you gently to the ground and lifted your shirt enough to see the wound. “It’s just a graze,” he said, relieved as he placed a bandage against your side. The rest of the team had run over to help. You touched Loki’s arm, your teeth clenched as you fought against the haze in your mind. He saw the glazed look in your eyes and the blood on his hands and he understood. “Fight it, darling, not here, not now, there are too many eyes,” he bid you softly, urgently.

    “Fight what?” Cap demanded, slower on the uptake of what your bleeding meant.

    “Get her to the jet. Now! We can patch that wound up there,” Nat snapped the order, understanding what Loki had and what Cap had not.

    It was too late, though. You couldn’t fight it, couldn’t fight the haze of visions, couldn’t fight the pain demanding you speak. You tried. You really tried, but the visions overtook you and you had to speak what you saw.

    You were laying on a bed in one of the medical rooms of the tower when you became aware of your surroundings again. Your mind was so hazy and fuzzy and it took a lot of blinking and way too much focus to finally realize where you were. “Easy, darling,” Loki’s voice came from beside your bed as you struggled to sit up. He rushed over to help you as you bit back a curse at the pain in your side.

    [What-?] you started, not remembering much of what happened after you’d been shot.

    “You’ve been trapped in visions all night, love. Lady Natasha had to stitch that wound closed,” Loki told you softly. That explained why your brain was so fuzzy and why you woke up so exhausted. Every puncture of the needle would have driven you to more visions.

    [How bad is it?]

    “The wound will heal in a couple weeks. The media...” he trailed off and you blanched. This was exactly what they wanted to make sure didn’t happen.

    [How bad?] you demanded.

    He offered you a hand in reply. “Let’s go to the living room and you can watch the footage for yourself.” You looked around the room concerned about leaving before someone told you that you could. “They said you could leave as soon as you woke,” Loki explained when he caught your expression. You nodded and with his help slowly got to your feet. He bit back an offer to carry you when he saw your determined expression. You weren’t weak just because you’d been shot. Hell, Clint got shot nearly every mission and he didn’t just lie in bed afterwards.

    It was a slow walk to the living room, but it was worth it to see the relief on everyone’s faces that you were up and moving. You tried to reassure them that you were ok.

    You curled up on the couch between Loki and Thor to watch the footage.

    It was as bad as you were expecting. The news had shown up to film the Avengers as usual. The public ate up anything involving the Avengers, so the news showed up to any battle involving the team as fast as possible. They had gotten a close up on you when you appeared in the battle and made your way to the Hulk. They’d wanted to catch your song. Instead they had closeup footage of you getting shot, Hulk’s rage, Loki’s rage and obvious love and concern, the team running toward you, Cap’s and Nat’s orders.

    There was even more close-up footage of you speaking prophecies and visions of the future. Your words were clear, the meanings behind them not always clear, but your attention kept shifting during the clip, to various teammates, so you figured your words were for them. It wouldn’t have been even that obvious, until you looked directly in the camera and clearly announced the Powerball numbers.

    You were so doomed.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is no longer fluff. The plot begins here. You have been warned

    It was weeks and multiple angry phone calls between Cap and your mom before things quieted down. Sammi came to your defense at school when the more stupid of the students tried to demand prophecies. They finally knocked it off when they realized you weren’t going to do it no matter how nice they pretended to be, or how much they threatened you.

    You actually got back to a fairly normal life much more quickly than you had been expecting. Cap pulled you back on missions and only let you come help once the danger had been completely secured. You didn’t mind and knew he’d ease up once you got through a few missions without being injured again. Loki was extra overprotective until the wound had healed and even after that you had to threaten to stab him before he would believe that you were ok.

    One December Saturday you went on a mission with the team. Everyone was shivering and miserable on the jet except Loki who was laughing at their misfortune while he wrapped a blanket around you. Stark hadn’t gotten the heat working properly on the jet when he had ‘fixed’ it last time. Loki’s frost giant heritage left him immune to the cold. The team was going even further North too for this mission; it was going to be a miserable battle. Loki used a little magic to put a warming spell on the blanket around you. You looked up at him confused, you hadn’t known he could do that. He held a finger to his lips in reply, keeping the secret of this skill from the others. You snuggled further in your blanket, finally starting to feel warm thanks to his warming spell.

    The jet landed and everyone else got out. This was supposed to be a straightforward mission. They weren’t even sure it would become a code green. You were only here for emotional support unless the code green actually got called. Loki kissed you goodbye before he left the jet with the others and you curled more comfortably with your blanket at the reading assignment you needed to do over the weekend. Bruce was staying behind unless the code green was called, so you invited him over to share your blanket.

    “How is this heated?” he asked you as he settled under it with you.

    [Loki] you signed. He nodded, accepting that explanation and you went back to your homework. Loki’s clone didn’t stay with you tonight since Bruce was here. You were the Hulk’s favorite person, so he was plenty guard enough.

    The code green was called and Bruce left you too to go deal with it. A clone of Loki appeared to keep you company when Bruce left. The team wasn’t taking chances with your safety.

    The battle didn’t take long once Bruce got into the fight. “Siren, you’re up!” Cap’s voice called over the comm.

    You sighed when you had to remove your heated blanket, but left the jet and went to go find the Hulk. You saw the enhanced the team had been fighting were being loaded into a prison van of some variety, all hooded with their hands cuffed behind them.

    You found the Hulk waiting patiently for you surrounded by the team. You laughed at the absurd sight, but the Hulk loved you and your singing, and you got to it faster if he was waiting patiently for you. So you stepped up to him and began to sing. It took longer this time, Hulk apparently liked your song choice and didn’t want to change back. You finally had to put more force and effort into your intention before he’d change back. When he did, you wrapped the heated blanket around him and helped him back to his feet. He was more out of it than usual this time and you had to support him on the way back to the jet.

    You were so focused on getting Bruce to stumble his way back to the jet that you didn’t notice you weren’t alone until the SHIELD agents were standing around you all in uniform and masks from the battle. You waved at them, sure they’d recognize you and Bruce and moved to walk past them into the jet.

    You didn’t know what was happening until after they’d moved. One of them opened a can of some kind of gas and threw it at your feet. You opened your mouth to scream, but just breathed in a lungful of gas instead. You fought to stay standing as you coughed your lungs out, dropping Bruce as you fought to breathe. He was coughing too and the Hulk was nowhere to be seen.

    The agents grabbed you while you were fighting for air and shoved a gag in your mouth before throwing a hood over your head. Your arms were bound behind you, just like the other enhanced’s had been. You fought to breathe through your nose while struggling against the agents. It was no use. They frog marched you back toward the battle site. “Last one,” one of the agents said as you were forced into the van with the others. “Collar this one quickly. It’ll cause trouble otherwise.” You tried to scream behind your gag, but you couldn’t get your airway clear enough from the gas. You felt the familiar hated shock collar snap shut around your neck despite your shrieks, struggles, and protests. “Shut it!” one of the agents snapped at you.

    You shrieked and sobbed at the first shock you’d had to suffer in six months. The shocks didn’t stop until your shrieks did. Until you fell back into the silent hopeless haze you’d lived in during your time in the prison in self defense.

    “Go!” the agent ordered the driver. The van started and drove away carefully, obviously not wanting to draw the team’s attention.

    “Where is she?!” you heard Loki’s roar from outside the van. You lifted your head, but the shocks started again before you could figure out how to get his attention. All you could do was sob helplessly at the pain.

    This had been a very well thought out trap.


	19. Chapter 19

    You panted against the pain when the shocks finally ended moaning softly as you fought back sobs. It was presumably once the van was far enough away from the battle. You tried not to move, tried to avoid drawing attention to yourself. You didn’t want shocked again just for breathing.

    Your mind whirled, focusing not on how to escape; that was impossible at this juncture, but instead on the abduction. How had they gotten you away from the team without anyone trying to help you? Had someone betrayed you? That seemed unlikely, they were all super heroes, but your mind had to consider the possibilities anyway.

    Bruce had been too far out of it from the change back from the Hulk; it had been a particularly hard transition this time and the gas had taken him out before the Hulk could reappear. The jet had been too far away from the battle and was out of sight. The team had trusted you and Bruce to be safe because the Hulk liked you and it was incredibly difficult to get past him, even after just changing back to Bruce. The skirmish had been too quiet for your friends to hear; you and Bruce were both taken down by the gas. Your friends would have been expecting to hear the Hulk roar or your screams if you were in danger. And... and...the abductors were dressed as SHIELD agents. No one would have looked too closely at the agents bringing one last enhanced to the prison van. You could have been walked right past Captain America and he might not have looked closely enough to tell it was you under the hood.

    They probably hadn’t found out that anything was wrong until they found Bruce in the snow outside the jet.

    Loki would come soon. You still wore the locket he gave you, you never took it off. He would come, most likely as soon as the van stopped moving and he could get a clear lock on where you were.

    The hood over your head was removed after you came to the conclusion that the team hadn’t betrayed you. They’d been tricked too. You saw that the other prisoners were already unhooded. They were also unbound and had started congratulating and talking among themselves. They had all been in on the trap too, it seemed.

    “Search her,” the agent who seemed to be in charge barked the order.

    “Right, you remember what Loki said about the token he gave her,” someone else added. You blanched. They’d been spying on you since at least the first day of school. That was the only time Loki had ever mentioned how token worked. They had to have been planning this for months.

    “Don’t say his name!” Agent In-charge hissed. “To speak the name is to summon the man.” You fought to avoid rolling your eyes. Loki wasn’t Voldemort, though their fear of his arrival indicated that he was equally terrifying to these people.

    You kept your head down, trying to keep your hair over your face and neck. You wanted to hide the Loki’s locket, keep it out of sight behind your hair. It was of no use, of course, they would find it, but you hoped it would be after Loki got a lock on your location. A female agent searched you, searched your pockets before she saw the necklace under the combination of your hair and the shock collar. She ripped it from your neck. You watched her open it with a carefully blank expression.

    “This is it,” she told Agent In-charge when she saw the lock of Loki’s hair inside the locket. She snapped it back shut again and handed it to him.

    “Good. We’re almost at the rendezvous.” Agent In-charge turned his attention back to you. “You’re going to do _exactly_ what you’re told, Prophet, unless you want shocked into next week. SHIELD may not have known how to deal with such a commodity, but we do. And maybe, if you can learn to behave this time, we won’t even have to treat you like we did in The Raft. Yes, we’ve been waiting to get you back since then,” he added at your shocked expression. You finally recognized him as one of the men who had used your abilities in the prison. “But SHIELD had you tucked away in that tower with those freaks, and even when you did venture out into the world, it was always under the close eye of that troublesome boyfriend of yours, so we’ve had quite the chore to reacquire you. We won’t make the mistake of losing you again.” You refused to remain property, or with them. You’d have to bide your time, but they would make a mistake. There would be an opportunity to escape. You would just have to bide your time until they dropped their guard or the others could find you, whichever came first.

    “I don’t think you’re stupid, stubborn maybe, but not stupid. So I’m going to tell you exactly what is going to happen,” he paused to make sure he had your undivided attention. “When the van stops, you are going to come with me to the waiting car with no fuss, no fighting, no arguments of any kind. If you behave, you get to sit in the car like a person. If you fuck this chance up, you’ll be shoved in the trunk and very lucky if you’re not shocked the entire trip to our next destination. Do you understand?” he demanded. You nodded meekly and didn’t even have to feign terror. You tried to convince yourself that you were just playing along, biding time, but you were terrified and in pain. You’d do almost anything to keep yourself from any more pain.

    The van stopped and Agent In-charge pulled you to your feet and kept a hand firmly around your upper arm. You couldn’t manage to get up on your own with your arms bound behind you. Agent In-charge handed your locket to one of the men. “Wait until her friends show up. If it’s just him, try to take him out here; if you can’t defeat him, or if it’s all of them, Jones, you drive south with that as fast as you can, that’ll draw his attention, keep him off of our trail,”

    “Yes, sir,” the man with your locket replied, but sounded nervous. He didn’t want to face Loki’s wrath.

    “Hydra appreciates your sacrifice, Jones,” Agent In-charge said. What was Hydra? Hadn’t Cap mentioned something about it at some point? You couldn’t remember.

    A moment later, he was out of the van, dragging you with him. “Walk, or you go in the trunk,” he ordered in a hiss. You walked. There was a car and a second van in the parking lot the rendezvous was taking place in. Jones got in the other van alone, prepared to act as decoy. You felt your hope plummet with how well they had planned this out. Agent In-charge led you to the waiting car, opened the door, and pushed you inside. The woman who had searched you got in the back of the car with you, and Agent In-charge got in the passenger’s seat.

    “Drive,” Agent In-charge ordered the driver. The car sped off at once. “Careful, we don’t want to get pulled over.” He told the driver, who slowed some, obviously trying to obey the speed limit. Of course they didn’t want the cops to see a bound and gagged girl in the backseat of the car. That might be a little suspicious.

    You yelped in surprise and pain when the shock collar went off again. “Now, Smith,” Agent In-charge ordered the woman in the back seat with you. She jabbed your neck with a needle. You hadn’t even seen her move, too distracted by pain. “Can’t have you know where we’re going and figure out how to tell that boyfriend of yours,” Agent In-charge said as the shock ended.

    *

    The world faded away in a matter of moments, but not before the stab with the needle opened you to the visions. You couldn’t speak the visions you saw, but you saw them clearly enough, though you couldn’t be sure if it was a drugged dream, or a true vision

    You saw Loki appear in the parking lot the rendezvous had taken place in. He fought with some of the enhanced with an efficient brutality you had never seen before. You saw most of the group jump into the original van and both vans sped off in opposite directions.

    It was only a teleport for him to appear in Jones’ van. It took only a moment for him to realize he’d been tricked, that your locket was there, but you weren’t. He was in the passenger seat of the van, smiling pleasantly at Jones an instant later. “Where have you hidden my darling?” he asked equally pleasantly while he played with one of his daggers. Jones just looked terrified of the pleasantly, though psychotically smiling man beside him. Loki’s pleasantry in this situation was way more frightening than his obvious rage.

    “F-Far f-from here,” Jones stuttered. He chomped on something in his mouth and was nearly instantly foaming from the mouth as death took him.

    He’d chosen to kill himself rather than let Loki kill him.

    It was probably a faster cleaner death.


	20. Chapter 20

    You woke in a bed, an honest to goodness bed, not a prison cot, not a hospital bed, an actual reasonably soft bed. The sun was streaming in through a bedroom window, the weak light of a northern winter. For a brief, glorious, wonderful moment, you thought that you had been rescued.

    That moment was shattered when your foggy brain realized that you were still gagged, still wearing that awful shock collar. None of your friends would have left you in that state. You finally moved to sit up. Your winter coat and boots had been removed as well as the handcuffs. At least the handcuffs were gone. Your hands reached up automatically to remove the gag, knowing already that the collar was locked on.

    “Don’t bother,” a female voice said from the chair in the corner of the room. You hadn’t noticed her, her, chair, or anything about the room when you first woke. It was Smith, the woman who had searched you and rode in the backseat of the car with you. “It’s locked,” she added when you looked over at her. “Get dressed, the boss wants to see you. If you behave, you’ll get to eat something after,” she ordered, gesturing to the garment at the end of the bed. You nodded meekly, knowing better than to argue with the person who was obviously brandishing the shock button. That would just be stupid.

    You stiffly got out of the bed and picked up the stupid dress that was on the bed. You glared at it, but there wasn’t any choice in the matter. You had to do what you were told right now. Smith was watching. You glared at her. She didn’t have to watch you change. You couldn’t do anything stupid right now anyway. “Fine, but if you do anything stupid...” she trailed off, holding up the shock button. She moved to stand by the door, keeping you from leaving, but not watching you change. It was as much privacy as you were going to get. You changed quickly into the spaghetti strap knee-length dress. You cursed all of these assholes for not only wanting to display your scars, but also make escape much more difficult. A summer dress and no shoes were no match for the snow.

    Assholes.

    Plus it was cold in here.

    Worse assholes.

    “C’mon,” Smith told you and led the way out of the room, her hand around your upper arm. Like you were going to fight her when she had the shock button and you had no chance of escape. You weren’t stupid.

    She led you to a room in this strange house you were in that was set up as an office. A man in a very expensive looking suit was sitting at the desk. Smith shoved you roughly into one of the chairs on the other side of the desk from the man. “Here’s the Prophet, sir,” she announced unnecessarily. The man’s attention turned to you.

    “Smith! This just won’t do. Remove that gag from our new ally,”

    “Sir, she’s a slave, a prisoner at best, not our ally. You know she’s dangerous,” Smith protested. You fought the urge to glare at her.

    “You know I hate that word!” the man protested, sounding offended.

    “Fine, sir. She’s a prisoner with a job, a very dangerous prisoner.” You could practically hear her eyes roll at that reply. For your part, you sat demurely, feigning innocence, portraying your very well practiced cute little harmless mute girl act. It went so well with your ballerina’s build.

    “Do it, Smith,” he ordered. The gag was gone a moment later and you rubbed your aching jaw, doing your best to look pitiful and harmless. “Now Prophet, welcome to Hydra. You’ll be working for us now. Don’t worry about those stupid Avenger thugs trying to take you from us. Thanks to Smith’s abilities, you’re hidden from their tracking, even that horrible false-god can’t find you through her shielding. That doesn’t mean we won’t take precautions for your safety regardless...” his voice was pleasant, like he was trying to sound convincing, like they had rescued you from the Avengers or something. He _was_ telling the truth about Smith’s abilities, though. You’d lived with Loki long enough to be able to tell a lie when you heard one, and that wasn’t one.

    “Now, I know those horrible people made you use your abilities for them. Maybe the only good thing they did was force you to learn to use them better. So tell me, how do the prophecies work?” You hesitated, unsure of how to answer, or what story to spin. “Don’t worry, I sign perfectly well,” he added kindly.

    You raised your hands while making a stupid decision. It was the only viable decision. You had to tell him. Smith would shock you otherwise, and besides, someone here probably knew the basics. There was only one thing you could add that might help you instead of just them. So you purposely indicated that he shouldn’t waste skin and make the cuts over existing scars. You knew the visions weren’t as reliable, weren’t quite as accurate, but you also knew that cutting across the old visions opened you further to the prophecies, so you could see beyond the question asked. You just had to focus on what you needed to know to get your answers as well as the answer to the question you were asked.

    “Let’s try,” he said once you had explained. He moved to your side, razor in hand. He had been prepared.

    You hissed in pain when the cut was made. You didn’t listen to his question or the answer your mouth spoke when the haze of visions washed over you. Instead, you focused on your own question, on what you needed to know: _How do I escape?_

    That first attempt, a single image came to you: a huge ballroom full of adults in formal wear. The men all had ... red octopus? ... pins in their lapels. That was the event from which you would be able to make your escape.

    *

    “About time they let you sleep without drugs,” Loki’s voice greeted you as the living room of the Avenger’s tower materialized around you. Loki was standing directly in front of you. You launched yourself into his arms, wrapping yours firmly around his neck, holding on too tightly to him. He held you too tightly too. “I’m coming for you, love. I swear. I’m sorry it’s taking so long. They’re hiding you from me, from us, somehow.” You moved to step out of his arms, to raise your hands and sign an explanation, but he stopped you by holding you tighter. “No need to sign. Your powers don’t work here,” he told you softly.

    “Why didn’t we spend time here earlier?” you demanded, holding him more tightly, breathing in his scent and taking comfort in his presence and the usual, though not particularly useful playfulness between you. It was so very comforting.

    “Because you already don’t sleep and I didn’t want to tempt you to stay up awake all night every night talking to me,” he replied. You would have done exactly that, so you didn’t argue. “Darling, is there anything you can tell me about them, about where they’re keeping you?” he asked softly, drawing your attention back to the issue at hand.

    So you told him everything. You told him what happened at the battle, how they’d stolen you away. You told him about the traps they had set. You described the trees and the snow outside of the room you had woken up in, and explained what you had been told about Smith’s powers. Finally, you told him about the vision of the ballroom.

    “I will find you, love,” he told you firmly, possessively, dangerously after you had finished. “And I will kill all of them for daring to lay a finger on you,” his voice had changed to an angry growl.

    “Can I help?” you asked him softly.

    He chuckled and kissed you. “Yes, my darling siren, you can definitely help,”

    *

    It was so very hard to keep track of time after that. The Hydra people kept you nearly constantly on the move to keep the Avengers, and Loki, off of your trail. The first time they moved you, you heard on the radio in the car the next morning about how there was a horrible bloody violent massacre at the house you’d been held. Every single person who had remained behind had died viciously. After that, they made sure everyone evacuated immediately from any place you’d been kept.

    It was also hard to keep track of time when you were lost so often to the haze of visions and pain. You knew it was at least months of constant moving, near constant visions of the future. It was becoming more and more difficult to keep track of what was real and what was possibility, especially as they kept cutting over the old scars, so you could keep getting glimpses of the events that would lead to your freedom. You saw a blue dress. A microphone in your hand. More people in the crowd. Men taking headphones off to talk to a beautiful woman. Finally, finally you got the words you needed in order to narrow it down: Hydra, Gala, and DC.

    You spent months wondering how you were going to end up at a gala, until after a few weeks of ‘good behavior’ they wanted you to perform at some kind of party. They positioned you up on a stage at the event in front of a group of Hydra Agents. They handed you a microphone and insisted you sing for them. You were sorely tempted to attempt to escape at that first event, but this wasn’t the time, this wasn’t the event. They hadn’t let their guard down yet. The guards were wearing headphones and were prepared to strike if you even looked like you were going to do anything besides sing. You had to bide your time awhile longer. So you sang instead, biding your time, and pleasing the crowd.

    The only bright points in all of those months...that year?... were the sparse nights you were able to meet Loki in your dreams. You gave him every warning and every clue from your visions. He promised again and again that he was coming, they were looking, they weren’t giving up. He held you while you sobbed out your pain and terror, safe in his arms during those nights.

    He promised ruthless deaths for every single person who had hurt you so.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Evil Loki makes an appearance. You have been warned.

    You knew there was an event coming up when they let your ground yourself back in reality for weeks. They had stopped watching you as closely thinking that you were cowed. They did still shock you just to be assholes, which only fueled your anger and desire to escape. You would escape, just as soon as the gala came. So you watched and waited and tried to focus back on reality while your mind was clear of the visions. You had to be focused to see the first of the clues.

    You knew when the blue dress arrived that it was time.

    After months of careful planning and waiting.

    It was time.

    The day the dress arrived you began whispering to the guards who would be wearing headphones the night of the gala. You had seen which ones they would be. You had to be careful that no one would catch you at it, but you had seen this too and knew when they would be alone and it would be safe to whisper persuasions to them. So you carefully, so very carefully, whispered the persuasions, so very grateful that you had acquired that skill.

    Even if your friends couldn’t come, couldn’t get to you, you were getting out of this hell.

    It was time to be a self-rescuing princess.

    The night of the gala, you were dressed in the blue dress and smuggled into the ballroom. This was a Hydra only event, and a masquerade gala. It was perfect for all of your planning. You weren’t given a mask of course; they all wanted to see you as you were. They wanted to see your scars and congratulate themselves on having your prophecies for their purposes.

    You had to wander the crowd with your guards in tow until it was time for the performance. You kept your eyes out the entire time you did. You saw a familiar curl of red hair, an equally familiar cut of a jawline, a ceiling tile that was just out of place, a suspicious-looking umbrella propped against the wall. You stayed away from those familiarities. It wasn’t time yet for them.

    It wasn’t long before you were on the stage, the microphone in your hand. You saw the attractive woman with red hair start flirting with your guards.

    It was nearly time.

    You began to sing, soothing the crowd, drawing their attention to you, drawing them to you with the siren’s song.

    Still the woman flirted with the guards.

    Just a little longer.

    The guards saw nothing but the woman and how her attention wasn’t on you. Your persuasions held and they removed their headphones to talk to her properly.

    The very instant the headphones were off, you changed the high note you had been singing to the loudest, angriest, most blood-curdling scream you could muster. Everyone in the crowd dropped, except the six in the crowd you had been watching.

    You smiled at them as they turned to the stage, rushing to you. The umbrella flew across the ballroom towards it’s owner as they ran to you. “We’re here, Y/N!” Cap called unnecessarily. Nat was closest, she had been flirting with your guards. Clint, Tony, Thor, and Bruce were all running over and around the falling/fallen bodies.

    Loki was nowhere to be seen.

    You didn’t realize you had messed up your plan until one of the guards hit the button on his way to the floor. You fell to your knees, howling in pain, as the collar went off like it never had before. There was a crackle of electricity and your friends yelps of pain as the comm devices fried in their ears. They were down a moment later, no longer protected from you screams of pain.

    Loki appeared then directly in front of you. In an instant, he was kneeling and had his hands around the shock collar. He didn’t bother trying to unlock it, he just snapped it in half and threw the the pieces far from you. You stopped screaming when the pain ended. You don’t know which of you moved first, but the next moment you were in his arms, holding him too tightly as you sobbed into his chest, his arms nearly too tight in their grip on you. “It’s alright now, love. I told you I would come,” he told you softly, his voice gentle, though you could hear the rage hidden behind his gentle tone. Your bit back the tears quickly. This wasn’t over yet. You would allow yourself the sobs and tears later.

    Loki stood and pulled you to your feet as he ripped the headphones off of his own ears. He had come prepared. “Let’s get you taken care of, then we’ll deal with the walking carrion who dared touch what was mine,” his tone had changed to the angry snarl of the promise of their deaths. He looked you over, his gaze appraising. You knew you looked like hell. You were stick thin and covered with so very, very, very many new scars and cuts that hadn’t healed enough to be scars yet. He growled, his rage flaring at the state you were in. He held his hand out to you. “Allow me, darling,” he bid you softly. You immediately put your hand in his. You didn’t even question what he was asking you to trust him with doing. You trusted him with everything. He raised your hand to his lips and as he kissed your knuckles, his magic flowed over you. You hugged him again for what he had done for you. He had used magic to change your clothes so you would be comfortable. It wasn’t the most important thing right now, but he wanted you safe and happy. So you were in jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie that you knew came from his closet. Plus shoes. How you’d missed shoes.

    “Any requests before I get started?” he asked pleasantly, not like he was talking about murdering a room full of people. You nodded and stepped out of his arms so you could make your request. He looked impressed, and more than a little shocked that you really were asking to help, but didn’t question you as he provided the requested items for you.

    It took a minute to find the people you were looking for in the masked crowd, but they were together, so that made it easier. You glared at Agent In-charge, Smith, and Hydra’s leader as you found them and removed their masks. You wanted to make absolutely certain you’d found the right people. “These are the three who hurt you worst?” Loki asked, sounding simply curious. You nodded and snapped the shock collars Loki had provided for you around their necks. They roused after a few well-deserved slaps across the face each.

    You let them sit up, look around at the downed people, and remember what had happened. They looked terrified up at Loki, who was twirling a dagger calmly. They weren’t paying you a bit of attention. Stupid assholes.

    You snapped your fingers to get their attention. Loki looked over at you too. [Translate?] you asked.

    He inclined his head. “Of course, darling,” he replied pleasantly. You signed one sentence for him. He grinned maliciously at the three terrified Hydra members. “My darling would like for me to tell you and I quote: See how you like it, assholes.”

    You let them have the moment to turn back to you and see the device in your hand before you hit the button and watched with malicious revenge as they got a small taste of the hell they had put you through.

    Loki pulled over a chair and pushed you gently into it, wrapping a blanket he had summoned around your shoulders. “You’re dead on your feet, love. Sit, enjoy your show. I will take care of the others,” he bid you softly and kissed your forehead.

    You huddled in your blanket somehow watching Loki and the suffering three who had tortured you. Loki summoned a spellbook and you felt the power in the air as he drew in magic for his spell. You could feel how powerful of a spell it was, though you didn’t understand why or how.

    The power burst from him and touched everyone in the room besides you and the rest of your friends, even the three in front of you who were already being punished for their part in hurting you were included in the spell’s touch. Every single person touched by the spell began to scream, blood pouring from their arms, clutching at their throats, their heads. You had an idea what he had done, but you looked up at him for confirmation. “Nobody harms what is mine,” he explained, his voice a malevolent snarl as he looked over his handiwork. He came back over to you and lifted you from the chair into his arms. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now,” he told you softly, kissing your forehead again, as if to reassure himself that you were really here and safe.

    “Loki, stop this!” Thor’s voice boomed, as he raised his umbrella, the umbrella that was Mjolnir in disguise. Your teammates had been roused by the screams of Loki’s victims, it seemed. You hadn’t noticed them wake.

    “What did you do?” Clint asked, horrified at the sounds and images around you.

    “No more than what they did to Y/N,” Loki replied pleasantly, the malicious grin on his face at the chaos and pain around him.

    “Loki, lift your spell. They do not deserve this, torture,” Thor ordered even more firmly.

    “You are quite right, brother dear. My darling did not deserve this torture. They are receiving no more than was inflicted upon her,” Loki’s voice was still pleasant, but he held you more tightly.

    “They did...this?” even Nat’s voice was disbelieving. None of them had wanted to believe that you had lived through and survived what these people were suffering now.

    “That is the nature of the spell. They will be freed when every torture inflicted on my beloved has been inflicted on those responsible in turn,” Loki shrugged as if that was a benevolence.

    “Freed means dead, right?” you whispered in Loki’s ear, so softly even he would have to focus to hear, even with your lips brushing his ear as you spoke.

    “Very much so,” Loki replied softly so the others couldn’t hear what he said. Louder, he announced: “Come, darling. Let’s go home,”

    After one last view of the carnage around you, Loki teleported the two of you from the ballroom.

    


	22. Chapter 22

    You reappeared in the living room of the tower a moment later. Loki set you gently on your feet when you had arrived. You wrapped your arms around him and wouldn’t let him go, even as his magic flowed over him so he was back in normal comfortable clothes instead of his battle armor. “This is real?” you whispered in his ear, voicing your fear.

    “Very real, darling,” he replied softly, concern in his voice.

    “They’re dead?” you asked. You had such a hard time keeping track of what was real and what were visions.

    He thought about that for an instant. “Not yet, but shortly, except for the one in charge. We do have to question him, but he will die shortly after that. They will never harm you again, my love,” Loki reassured you, his voice possessive and dangerously angry. You nodded and laid your head against his chest. “Come on, darling. Eat something and then you can get some rest,” he told you softly and began herding you to the kitchen. You let him herd you and kept your arms around him the entire time. You had been strong for months and months. You could let him take care of you tonight. Besides, if you were touching him, this had to be real and not a vision, right?

    There were containers of Chinese in the kitchen. Apparently the team had decided to order so there would be food when they got back from DC. Loki grabbed yours from the pile and handed it to you as well as a fork. He got his too and you walked with him back to the living room to your favorite couch. It was a slice of normal and it was absolutely perfect and exactly what you needed.

    Loki vanished the containers and dishes when you had finished eating. You curled yourself in his arms, exhausted to your bones. “Still real?” you whispered before you would dare sleep.

    “Very real, darling,” he replied and kissed the top of your head. “Darling,” he hesitated. “Why do you keep asking?” he asked softly, hesitantly. He needed to know, but didn’t want to hear or accept the truth.

    “Cast enough illusions and you risk forgetting what is real,” your voice would have been a whisper even if you hadn’t had to keep it that way so Loki wouldn’t be rendered unconscious. Loki just looked at you shocked and...horrified? by your words.

    “Mother gave me that warning a long, long time ago,” Loki’s voice was soft as he remembered. You nodded; you knew that already. “You saw-?” he trailed off. You nodded again. “I thought you only saw the future...”

    [Not anymore] you switched to sign, too tired to watch your tone and volume. You sat up and stripped off the blanket you’d been wearing as a shawl and Loki’s hoodie, letting him see the full damage. Your arms were scars over scars, many still open or barely healed. The visions you had seen were lines and lines across your skin.

    “Gods, love. What in the name of Hel did they do to you?” he demanded, but he knew. He knew exactly what they’d done. You curled yourself back in his arms when you knew he understood. He wrapped the blanket back over you. “Rest, love. You’re safe now,” he bid you softly. “I’ll be here to keep you safe. My word was broken once, and I can’t express how awful I feel for that, but I will not allow it to be broken again.” You fell asleep to him petting your hair, breathing in his scent, and finally, finally feeling safe again.

    You jolted awake when the rest of the team returned. Loki held you more firmly when you did. “Easy, love, it’s just the team,” he said softly, petting your hair until you calmed again. You saw how much they all wanted to run over to check and make sure you were ok. You weren’t ok, but you eased yourself out of Loki’s arms. They were family too.

    You also saw the hard edge to their expressions. They were angry at what Loki had done. They wouldn’t say it in front of you though. You got off of the couch with effort and made your way shyly, timidly over to them. They asked a billion questions, mostly along the lines of “are you ok?” You answered them as best as they could and tried to reassure them and yourself that you were ok. You were really just exhausted and wanted to sleep for a week. Or more. You found yourself herded to the medical room so the scary doctor could tell the others that you’d heal. Loki held your hand the entire time and you saw the nail marks in his hand from how tightly you were holding it.

    You asked them all at least ten more times each that night if this was real. They were all concerned over that, but none were brave enough to ask. Not tonight. Not when they’d finally gotten you back.

    “Darling, the others would like to discuss tonight’s events with me after you have retired for the evening. Allow me to escort you to bed so they can get on with it?” he asked. You nodded, hugged everyone else again, and let Loki walk you up to your own room. He checked the room for intruders before he’d let you enter. “I have placed shields around the room darling. No one can get in unless you invite them.” Then why’d he have to check for intruders? “You’re safe here, I swear it. I’ll be back as soon as my conversation with the others is over.” You tried to protest that you didn’t need him to stay with you while you slept, but your protests were useless. He had been so scared of losing you. He was going to be overprotective and smothering. He was only willing to leave you alone because he had shielded your room himself and he trusted his magic, or the clone that would guard you while he wasn’t here. You would let him be overprotective, at least for a little while.

    He kissed your forehead before he’d leave you alone. You kissed him before you’d let him leave.

    [Still real?]

    “Very real, darling,” he replied with a soft smile, patient with you as always. “Try to get some sleep. I’ll be back soon.” You nodded and closed the door behind him after he’d left. You found the most comfortable pair of pajamas you could and climbed into bed with Lokibear. You were asleep as soon as your head hit the pillow, warm and oh so very safe.


	23. Chapter 23

    You caught visions of what was going on downstairs while you dozed. Either one of the cuts had reopened, or your mind had just been so blasted open from all of the visions over the last year that they just happened whenever now. It was hard to tell.

    “Brother, that was uncalled for,” Thor was telling Loki, who looked unphased by his brother’s scolding.

    Loki shrugged. “They deserved it for what they did. I left one alive for you to question and find out how they did this and why,”

    “Did you have to torture them that...gruesomely?” Tony was asking, looking green around the edges.

    Loki gave him a malicious grin. “As I explained, I only gave to them the same tender treatment they gave to my beloved. Had they not harmed her...” he shrugged.

    “Not everyone in that room was responsible,” Cap argued.

    “They were all responsible,” Loki countered. “They were all part of that organization. They knew what was being done to my darling, they all knew and helped, aided the organization to hide her from us, or worse. I did _check_ before I enacted my punishment on them. I made sure my victims were guilty, first. What? Do you think I am a monster?”

    Nat didn’t seem to phased by what Loki had done. You hadn’t expected her to be. Thor seemed to finally accept it. The others still weren’t pleased, and had been horrified by what they had seen, and by the screams of a ballroom full of victims. They had a rekindled respect/fear of Loki’s methods, but seemed to finally just accept that the deed was done.

    “The Hydra agent is down in a detention cell on the lowest floor. Don’t let Y/N find him,” Cap ordered.

    “How is she doing?” Nat asked, derailing the conversation to something more useful.

    Loki sighed heavily and hesitated. “Physically, she will heal. Her mind?” he hesitated again, thinking about it. “It will take time before we know...”

    “Why does she keep asking if this is real?” Clint asked, sounding like he didn’t really want to hear the answer.

    Loki looked so sad and hurt and...helpless. “Because she truly does not know anymore. They used her for visions from what I can gather nearly constantly for a year. She has lived for so long trapped in the visions of the past, present, and future, that right now she can’t tell what is real and what is the vision. I just hope that once she no longer has to live in visions all of the time that she can reground herself in reality.” He was explaining it slowly and as clearly as he could to those without magic.

    The vision faded and left you dozing alone in the bed with Lokibear.

    There was a soft knock on your door awhile later. “Darling? Are you still awake?” the door opened before you could answer, but you cracked your eyes open and propped yourself up on an elbow. “It’s just me,” Loki told you gently. “I didn’t mean to wake you, but I didn’t want to startle you, either.” You nodded and patted the bed beside you in invitation.

    [They aren’t too angry with what you did? They seemed to accept it]

    He gave you a look. “You saw the conversation downstairs?” he asked, obviously not happy about that. You nodded.

    [A wound must’ve reopened or something] you explained. He looked like he didn’t want to believe you. He thought that you had made a new cut. [I didn’t make a new cut] you told him firmly, reading his expression and guessing what he was worried about.

    “They have accepted it, though they are not pleased,” Loki finally answered your original question and sat on the bed with you. You wrapped your arms around him and let him hold you as you fell back to sleep.

    *

    It took Loki two hours of prodding and convincing before he got you to leave the safety of your room the next morning and it was only the threat that the others were so worried they were going to barge into your sanctuary that convinced you to leave the safety of your room. It wouldn’t be safe anymore if they others all started barging in.

    You still held on to him. He was real if you could touch him.

    The team greeted you kindly and Clint made pancakes. You actually gave him a small smile when he handed you the plate of pancakes. “Don’t let Loki steal yours, just because they’re his favorite,” he told you firmly. You gave him a real smile at the reminder, nodded your agreement and took your usual seat at the dining room table. Loki pulled our your chair for you before you could pull it out yourself. You gave him a shocked look and hesitated, taking a step back automatically.

    He sighed overly dramatically and rolled his eyes. “No love, I pull out the chair, you sit in it, I push it back in. It is called courtesy.” Your eyes lit up with the reminder of things that were real, happier days. You nodded and sat in the chair, letting him push it in as you sat. He kissed the top of your head, then sat beside you with his own plate of pancakes.

    The team purposely spoke of light things over breakfast, telling old stories, anything that was light and fun and normal. Loki devoured his pancakes and snuck his fork over toward your plate to steal yours. You flipped your fork in a practiced movement and jabbed his hand with it automatically. He mock-yelped and pulled his hand back, cradling it to his chest like you’d actually hurt him.

    “That is what you get for attempting to steal Lady Y/N’s breakfast, foolish little brother,” Thor scolded through his laughter.

    Their laughter kept you from retreating in fear. Though you did have to whisper to Loki “Still real?” it was _too_ familiar to be real.

    “Very real, darling,” he replied as patient as ever. “You stabbed me with a fork. That is quite real,” he mock-grumbled, somehow getting you to laugh as well. The entire team looked shocked to hear you laugh, but the tension eased when you had. If you could laugh the day after you were rescued, you would heal. They may get annoyed with how often you asked if things were real before then, but you would heal.

    *

    Your sleep schedule was at least as erratic and nonexistant as it had been when you first moved into the tower. Loki was always around to keep you company. He had been pulled from missions until you were more stable. It was just like old times, napping all over the tower, adventuring in strange places, occasionally pulling tricks and pranks on the others.

    There was a thunderstorm a week after you were back. Neither you nor Loki were emotionally strong enough to help the other through it, so you both ended up in Thor’s bed. He graciously put up with two terrified ‘children’ as he called you that night pestering him and whining about how terrifying the storm was. Loki had always been afraid of them, and you were scared of lightning. Thor hid how pleased he was that both of you had come to him for comfort that night and promised Loki that he had not created the storm. The three of you rode it and the accompanying emotions out together.

    After a few weeks back, the team insisted that you invite Sammi over so she’d stop pestering them on how you were doing. You called her first, one day after school would have gotten out. She picked up the video call on the first ring.

    “Y/N!” she exclaimed. You waved at her shyly, holding Lokibear in your lap for comfort. The teddy bear spent a lot of time in your company these days. Nat still threatened Tony almost constantly to leave the bear alone. Tony insisted he wouldn’t mess with anything that was helping your PTSD and would buy you a whole legion of the damn things if that’s what it took to make you feel safe. He understood the PTSD at least as much, if not more than the rest of the team. “Are you ok? Cap said you were, but... you don’t look ok,”

    [It was a rough year] you told her. It had been nearly a year that you were gone. Christmas was coming and you’d been taken a year ago in early December. [I’m still healing and trying to recover] you told her truthfully [but I will. It’s just going to take time...] you chatted with her about her nice boring normal life. It was exactly the grounding you need. [Do you want to come over soon?] you asked before the conversation ended.

    “Duh! Tomorrow? Sleepover?” she demanded. You nodded and gave her a smile before you ended the call.

    “Still real,” Loki told you before you could ask. You grinned and stuck your tongue out at him. He chuckled in reply and looked relieved. You handed him the book of Asgardian children’s stories he had been reading aloud to you. He sighed, put-upon, and rolled his eyes, but opened his arms to you so you could curl yourself in them to listen to his reading and most likely fall asleep to his soft tone and words.

    You let Loki drive the next day to the grocery store. You weren’t feeling grounded enough in reality to safely drive. You still got random visions, though they were happening less often, since the team had all been extremely firm that they were not using your prophecy powers, not asking you to use them, etc.

    He whined that he had to push the cart, but you just laughed at him. He also kept getting distracted wanting to look at all of the things in the store. You sighed and took his arm to keep him on task. It didn’t help. Silly Trickster kept trying to wander off. [If you don’t behave, I am putting a leash on you next time] you signed at him grumpily. You’d never do such a thing of course, but it was fun to threaten him with. He roared in laughter at that.

    “Sure you would, little siren,” he teased, but behaved better after that.

    Again, Sammis’ favorite ice cream was down to the last container at the back of the freezer on the top shelf. You glared at it and prepared to climb into the freezer for it. Loki reached past you to get the container before you could climb in to get it. You stuck your tongue out at him, but gave him a kiss in thanks. “You’re welcome, darling,”

    The slumber party was as fun as the first one with Sammi. You made pizzas and watched movies in a pillow fort on the living room floor. You also braided Loki’s hair and painted his nails. He didn’t argue, but pouted over the treatment.

    After her first inspection to make sure you were ok, she didn’t say a word over what had happened to you for the last year. Instead, she just fell back into old times and her normal exuberant behavior.

    The rest of the team stayed around this time, but Sammi’s toll was that they could only stay if they submitted to having their nails done. You were surprised they all agreed. You were even more surprised that the guys didn’t mind the stupid romance movies with the extremely hot men that you, Nat, and Sammi kept commenting about.

    “I am way better built than he is,” Thor complained at one of the men.

    “Prove it!” Sammi challenged. Thor couldn’t stand a challenge against his physique and obediently stood and stripped off his shirt. Loki made a retching noise from beside you. You jabbed him hard in the side with your elbow. He glared and tried to cover your eyes, making you laugh.

    [I have to help Sammi decide if he’s more attractive than the actor] you protested innocently. [It’s for science] you added with a grin. Loki glared.

    “I already know _you’re_ hotter than the actor,” you whispered in his ear to appease him.

    “Of course I am,” he replied grumpily, bu softened at your assessment of his physique. Silly Trickster.

    “Are you trying to claim you’re hotter than the actor too?” Sammi demanded when she heard Loki’s answer. “You know what that means,” she rushed over and grabbed Loki’s wrist to drag him to his feet. He stiffened. He didn’t like being touched by strangers. Sammi was just so...Sammi, that he somehow didn’t stab her for touching him. He sighed and huffed, but let himself be hauled to his feet. He did reach back for you to save him.

    [I’m not fighting her] you told him.

    Somehow all of the men ended up in front of the panel of judges without their shirts. You still had no idea how Sammi managed to convince them all. You did take plenty of pictures. She determined that they were all more attractive than the actors, if only to save the superheros’ feelings. Nat wasn’t as nice, and you voted for Loki to win, which everyone thought was blatant favoritism.

    “Why does she keep falling asleep?” Sammi asked Loki worriedly when you’d dozed off on him again during the evening. You’d taken a couple of catnaps already.

    “She is still healing,” he told her softly. You were mostly awake, just needed to rest your eyes for a little bit. “It was worse on her this time than at the prison,” he added. “She’ll be alright in time,”


	24. Chapter 24

    You jolted awake...in your bed. You looked around frantically, realizing that this was your room, your bed, not the living room with the pillow fort. What’s going on? “What is it, love?” Loki asked calmly from beside you, his voice reminding you of his presence.

    [Where’sSammi?] you demanded, your fingers flying too quickly in distress.

    “Sammi? Given that it is 2:42 in the morning, she is most likely at home in her bed. Do I need to take you to see her?” he asked. You realized he would. He would teleport you across town at 2:42 in the morning to go check on your best friend if that’s what it took to reassure you that everything was ok. Her dad would kill him, but he’d do it anyway.

    You shook your head and tried to calm the panic enough to tell him what happened. [Sammi is here. We were having a sleepover downstairs. The whole team was watching movies] you told him firmly.

    He shook his head sadly. “That wasn’t real, darling. The last time Sammi was here was before you were taken,” he told you softly. You just looked at him with tears in your eyes. How were you supposed to know what was real? It seemed so real.

    You took one breath, then another. You were going to heal. You had to. You had to be able to rebuild your life. [What was the last thing that was real?] you asked him. You had to know where you’d lost track of reality.

    “We rescued you... yesterday since it is after midnight. I walked you up to bed, left to have a conversation with the team, and then rejoined you for sleep,” he explained carefully. Three weeks. You’d imagined three weeks and thought they’d been real. “Tell me, darling. Let me help. What did you see?” he asked. So you told him about the next three weeks. Told you what you’d seen and how very, very real it had felt. “Well, it sounds like we’re going to have a fun three weeks at least,” he commented so very dryly while he thought over the problem that you couldn’t help but laugh. He smiled in return. “ _There’s_ my darling siren.” You curled yourself in his arms. He absently petted your hair while he thought, and kept summoning and vanishing texts to refer to. He was up to something, but if you were patient, he might explain what he was doing.

    He finally vanished the last scroll he reviewed and turned his attention to you. He sat you up, then sat cross legged in front of you. “I really wanted to let your mind heal on its own, but I cannot let you suffer like this, not if the visions attack you all the time, and not just when you’re injured any longer. I have an idea of how to help, but you would have to trust me, absolutely trust me. I know that is an unreasonable request coming from the god of lies, but I swear, I would never harm you.” You nodded firmly. Anything that would help get a grip on reality again. “Do you trust me?” he asked again.

    “I love you,” you whispered, knowing he would catch your words.

    He smiled softly, then lifted his hands, placing glowing green fingertips against your temples. “Close your eyes. I’m going to enter your mind and see where the injury is and what I can do to fix it.” You closed your eyes obediently. You heard him take a breath, steeling himself before he began. A moment later he was with you inside of your head, but...not, he was also around you mind, surveying what was done. It was a strange experience at best. He was gentle and courteous as he worked. He didn’t pry into memories that weren’t for him. It felt like a moment and an eternity before he finished and you were left alone in your own head again. “That should help,” he announced as you opened your eyes again. “It’s not the best solution, I’ll admit, but it was the best one I could come up with on such short notice when healing is not my strong suit.” You raised and eyebrow, wondering what he’d done. You didn’t feel any different. “It’s complicated, but the...gate... that protected your mind from visions was blasted open by being forced to see them all the time. I can’t fix that tonight. I will keep looking for a solution. What I _was_ able to do was make it so when the visions _do_ come through, you will be able to distinguish them from reality,”

    [How?]

    He gave you a proud smile at his solution. “The visions will appear in black and white and there will be a ...reminder... that things in black and white are not real,” he explained. You could tell he was having issues coming up with proper explanations for magical concepts at nearly 3am. You didn’t blame him, but you thought you understood, and at least having a way to distinguish the visions from reality would be a huge help.

    You launched yourself across the distance and wrapped your arms around his neck, laughing when he tumbled backwards, not expecting your reaction. “Thank you,” you whispered in his ear.

    “Anything for you, my darling,” he replied. “But you need sleep,” he added when you yawned. You pouted, but he got you resettled in the blankets curled safely with him and Lokibear and he read you Asgardian poetry until you fell back asleep.

    The first vision in black and white came that night. Your mind knew automatically that it wasn’t real, at least not in the present, as you were sucked into the scene. It was a single image of Loki with manacles on his neck, wrists, and ankles, all held together with chains. He was led a couple steps by guards, the chains rattling as he walked.

    


	25. Chapter 25

    At least the next three weeks went as expected. It was actually a comfort knowing what was coming. You had pancakes with the team the first morning, and stabbed Loki’s hand for trying to steal them, before he’d even moved to do so. Oops. He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question how you’d known. He knew. At least you didn’t have to ask if the color landscape around you was real anymore. It reassured the others. You and Loki both still hid with Thor when the thunderstorm hit. He welcomed both of your company and didn’t say a word about it afterwards. Shopping with Loki was just as you thought, though you threatened him much earlier in the trip with a leash, knowing he wouldn’t get better. He still insisted that you wouldn’t do it. You were tempted, but that would be mean, and too embarrassing for both of you in public, so you held onto his arm instead. The sleepover with Sammi was perfect and normal and so silly judging the shirtless boy contest. It was exactly what you needed.

    What you didn’t need, and what kept coming were the images while you were sleeping. They were all the same useless image of Loki in chains. Occasionally you got a glimpse of the long hall and... throne? But it was useful and unhelpful. How were you supposed to stop it if it was the future? What if it was the past? You couldn’t tell without more information.

    You had to visit your mom for Christmas. It was awful and she was even more smothering than she had been the last time you’d been home. It was understandable, but not helpful. At least you only had to visit for the afternoon, pretend to be perfectly ok for a couple of hours, and then curl crying in Loki’s arms on the way home from the emotional strain. You couldn’t tell your mom you weren’t ok. Despite the fact that you were an adult, she’d try to make you come home, and that couldn’t happen and wouldn’t help anything.

    *

    “Darling, you might want to wake up before your friends burst in to surprise you,” Loki told you too early in the morning. You groaned at him and tried to hit him with a pillow. He laughed. “They’re on their way,” he warned. You ignored him until there was a room full of Avengers. Your bedroom full of Avengers. You sat up and looked at them all confused, wondering what they were doing in here, and why they were all so excited.

    “Loki, did you pack her bag?” Nat asked. Loki inclined his head as he climbed off of the bed. “Good, let’s go!” Nat grabbed your hands and pulled you out of bed. You gave a frantic look at Loki who was being ushered out of the room with the rest of the boys.

    “Surprise!” the team called before the boys left you to Nat.

    “We decided you needed some fun, and to get out of the tower for a few days,” Nat explained. “So we’re taking you somewhere fun and we’re not telling you where it is until we get there,” she was avoiding using the term that they were kidnapping you for fun. You nodded and watched as she went rifling through your closet. “These will do until we get there. Get dressed. If you don’t argue, I’ll give you an extra five minutes to do your hair and brush your teeth so you can kiss your boyfriend,” she grinned. You stuck your tongue out at her, but ducked into the bathroom to change into jeans and cute top that Nat had picked out. You did your hair, and very carefully brushed your teeth. Her hand was raised to knock on the door to get you out of the bathroom when you opened it to step out on your own. You shoved your phone in your pocket and shoes on your feet.

    [Ready] you told her and smiled. You hadn’t seen this coming and were glad for a surprise in your life, especially when you knew it would be fun, whatever the team was planning.

    “Almost,” she said, holding up a long piece of fabric. “The boys really want this to be a surprise. It will be fine and you’re safe with us. The whole team will be there for your surprise. I told them I’d do it, but if you won’t be ok with it, I’ll kick Tony’s ass myself. He’s due for an ass kicking,” you giggled.

    [I’ll be fine. I can put up with it for the surprise] you told her, signing quickly. You’d be ok. None of the team would let you out of their sight. And it was worth it for a legitimate surprise. She came around and tied the blindfold over your eyes.

    “Are you sure you’re ok?” she asked again. You nodded, but reached for her. She took your hand and placed it on the crook of her elbow. “Then let’s go. Your surprise awaits,”

    “About time!” Tony grumbled when you had left your room with Nat. You raised your middle finger in the general direction that his voice had come from. Loki took your hand and kissed it. You’d recognize his cool touch anywhere. Nat left you to Loki’s care. You soon found yourself on the jet, sitting with Loki on one side of you and Thor on the other. You wondered why they had the blindfold you _before_ you got on the jet, but let it be. They were having too much fun, and promised you repeatedly that it was going to be fun for you too.

    You had no idea how long the flight was, but it had only felt like a couple hours tops. The jet was fast, so there was no real way of knowing where you were. You tried to take the blindfold off when you landed to see where you were, but Loki took your hand before you could and kissed it. “Not yet, darling,” he told you and you could hear the grin in his voice. He led you off of the jet and settled into the back of a car.

    [Where are we going?] you asked when he sat next to you.

    “Soon, darling. We’re almost there, right Stark?” he asked.

    “Right, almost there kid,” he replied, sounding pleased with how well his plan was working.

    [If this isn’t good, I’m going to knock you out for a week] you warned.

    “You’ll love it,” Tony replied. “If not for your own sake, than for the sheer joy of Thor being in this place.

    After the car ride came waiting in a short line outside where the weather was much warmer than it had been in New York. There was lots of Cap telling everyone you ran into that this was a surprise Christmas present and you had no idea where you were and to please not ruin the surprise. You held on to Loki’s arm tightly, disoriented with the number of people around you. The line either moved quickly, or people realized who you all were and parted for you. “Careful, love, we’re getting on a ferry,” Loki told you, holding your arm to steady you on the uneven difference between the dock and the ferry.

    “The best view is upstairs,” Tony announced and started walking up that way. You all made your way to the top deck at the front of the ferry. You could smell the water, feel the sun, but where on earth had they taken you? The ferry started and made it’s way slowly by your blindfolded reckoning to your destination. You felt Loki’s hands on the knot of the blindfold at the back of your head, obviously waiting for the right moment. “Now!” Tony announced. Loki untied the knot and let the blindfold fall away.

    “Surprise!” announced the team as you stared in awe across the lake. You couldn’t take your eyes off of the sight as you gasped and grinned in delight. It had been entirely worth the blindfolding and surprise. This was going to be such fun. You turned and gave each of the team a hug, enjoying their joy at your reaction, before you turned back to stare in wonder at the sight.

    You were staring at Cinderella’s Castle.


	26. Chapter 26

    Getting through security was a chore. Happy was with the group too acting as a security guard for...someone? you couldn’t quite tell who he was supposed to be guarding. He usually guarded Pepper, but she wasn’t there. That day, he was carrying Cap’s shield and an ironman suit in a suitcase for Tony, just in case. He had to flash his badge in order to get through with weapons. You got through security quickly and watched the drama of the rest of the team trying to get through.

    “Ma’am, you have to remove all of your weapons,” a guard told Nat. She removed a handful of blades and a small gun. “All of them,” the guard repeated. He must’ve recognized who we were, if he didn’t trust Nat to give up all of her weapons the first time. Nat rolled her eyes and removed even more weapons. Clint came up behind her and pulled the...sword?... from under her hair where she’d had it in a sheath on her back and added it to the pile. She glared at him and added one more tiny dagger to the pile.

    “Don’t glare, I gave you that sword,” Clint chided her. Security finally let her through, staring at the pile of weapons which promptly went in Happy’s suitcase.

    “A-are you armed?” A terrified teen who was acting as a security guard asked Loki. Loki’s eyes were on you, not giving the teen more than a passing glance while he put up with the nonsense.

    Loki rolled his eyes. “I carry no weapons,” he finally replied carefully. It was the truth, but...

    “That doesn’t answer the question, Mr. Loki,” quipped the terrified teen, actually earning a tiny smile from Loki for his pert. Loki was eventually let through after the teen got his manager involved.

    “Verily I have arms!” Thor boomed and flexed his muscles, making everyone in the vicinity with a libido swoon. Security went much faster after that.

    Tony passed out gold VIP fastpass bracelets for everyone which would let you jump any and every line in the park. After that came the obligatory group picture in front of the castle. That was also as long as the group’s enthusiasm could be controlled. The day was a whirlwind of chaos after that.

    You somehow got a picture of Loki wearing Mickey ears while performing the biggest most put-upon eye roll you had ever seen _anyone_ accomplish. Thor was nothing but an excited puppy. He bounced from shiny thing to shiny thing, taking in everything. He was so disappointed when he couldn’t remove the sword from the stone. It took you gesturing to the hammer keychain on his belt loop (which was Mjolnir in disguise) before he would finally cheer up again. “Yes, lady, you are correct,” he acknowledged, reassured that being worthy of Mjolnir was enough. You never did find out how Thor got Loki to ride in the teacup with him. You did get the very best picture of Thor’s enthusiasm while he spun the cup as fast as possible while Loki glowered and looked like he was going to stab Thor for the torment Thor was putting Loki through.

    The only warning the others had about It’s A Small World was the collective groan of Tony, Bruce, and Clint. It was the exact groan of someone who had been on the right before and had the damn song stuck in their head for the rest of the day. Somehow they all joined you anyway. You all had a boat to yourselves and walked right on thanks to Tony’s VIP passes. Loki looked interested at what could make the three men groan so much about a little boat ride. He was whining and groaning by about halfway through the ride and looked ready to destroy all of the speakers to end the damn song. You just laughed at his misery and enjoyed all of the dolls dressed from the different countries.

    Nat and Clint got the high scores during the shooting aliens ride. Bruce refused to ride Space Mountain, claiming The Hulk wouldn’t like it. Loki became fast friends with Captain Jack Sparrow and you had to drag him away before they got into trouble. Tony somehow convinced Thor that the ghosts in the Haunted Mansion were real. It took the rest of the team reassuring him that Tony was lying before he’d believe it.

    You somehow got Loki onto Splash Mountain without him finding out what the ride was called or seeing the log flume go down the water. Even he yelped at the unexpected drop after the silly little boat ride meandered its way past the story part of the ride. He shrieked at the unexpected water at the bottom of the mountain too, and glared at you when you giggled at him. “I’m wet,” he spluttered looking like an indignant cat while he wrung water out of his shirt. It just made you laugh harder. “You used me as a shield!” He complained when he noticed how dry you’d remained. You gave him an innocent look, and burst into even more giggles as he wrung the water out of his hair.

    Nat almost got kicked out of the park for throwing a pickpocket. Somehow Cap got her off the hook since the pickpocket hadn’t been hurt, just detailed by a little redhead half his size. The next thing any of you knew, Nat had an army of little girls in princess dresses that she was teaching to throw proper punches to be able to beat up boys. Thor jovially played along, letting Nat demonstrate on him and congratulating the tiny shield maidens on their skills.

    The entire group stopped to watch the parade. You stood on your toes, holding on to Loki for balance, trying to see over the heads of the people who kept standing in front of you. Loki drew a dagger, ready to stab the next person who stood in front of you, but Thor came up with a better solution. He lifted you and settled you so you were sitting on one of his broad shoulders. He held you in place effortlessly and you placed a hand on his other shoulder for balance and watched the parade with joy and without having your view blocked anymore. You did catch a glimpse of Clint in a nearby tree so he could see the parade from a better angle too. Loki stood next to you, his hand on your back, reassuring that he wouldn’t let you fall, neither would Thor. That didn’t stop Loki from taking your waist and lifting you down safely to your feet as soon as the parade was over, while calling Thor an oaf.

    The best part about the parade was getting to meet all of the cast afterwards and getting your silly signature book filled with all of their signatures. At least that was the best part until you remembered about the movie. Through some holy combination of a ton of money, Fury and Cap being in a good mood, and the promise of good publicity, Disney had acquired the rights to make a movie about the Avengers. Apparently the characters were now part of the Disney cast at the park. They weren’t part of the parade yet, but they joined the signature meet and greet, waving to all of the guests.

    You tapped Loki’s arm and drew his attention to them, laughing at his confusion. Your group went with you to get their signatures for your silly signature book. Your first stop was Disney-Loki, before he could see and recognize the group, for sheer entertainment value. The real Loki was still huffing and spluttering indignantly about the inferior copy. He didn’t follow you through the line, since he could see you perfectly well from the sideline and didn’t want to encourage the bad copy. You did.

    You approached Disney-Loki and knelt before him when he turned his attention to you. It was the proper greeting after all. “Finally, a proper supplicant. Rise, Lady,” Disney-Loki bid you. “What is your-?” You rose and saw his eyes widen before he could finish asking for your name. He saw your scars and your friends and knew exactly who you were in an instant. You saw the decision and mischief in his eyes and knew whatever he did next was going to be fun. “My Lady Siren, my most sincere apologies that I failed to recognize you, my love,” he announced loudly. The team, the cast members, and all of the guests around were looking at you now because of his announcement. People cosplayed as the others, not as you, so they all knew that you were the real siren, not a fake or an actress. Disney-Loki bowed over your hand to kiss your knuckles while giving a perfectly innocent look towards where the real Loki had been standing.

    “Unhand my lady, foul impostor!” Boomed Loki’s voice from behind you. You turned and saw that the real Loki was suddenly in his armor and helmet. In fact, all of the team was in uniform.

    You all almost got kicked out of the park for what happened next. Disney-Loki gave you a tiny wink, you gave him a small nod in reply, you’d play along. He stepped around you, pushing you behind him to ‘safety’. “Avengers! These impostors are after our Siren!” he called. The other actors ran over to help ‘defend’ you from your friends. What followed was a giant mock-battle between the real and fake team. You stood on the sideline watching the chaos with Bruce and Happy. The moves were obviously telegraphed so the actors wouldn’t be at a disadvantage, this was just for fun after all. It still delighted the children in the crowd. The real Avengers were gracious and let themselves be ‘defeated’. After the battle, they all took bows to the applause of the crowd.

    The real Loki came up to you. “Alright, darling?” he asked softly and kissed the top of your head. You nodded.

    [That was fun] you told him.

    The team had to stay for a little while and sign autographs. There were quite a few signature books that day that had two signatures for each member of the Avengers team.

    You dozed against Loki on the monorail ride over to Epcot, where the entire team ate their way across every nation. Nat became the most useful in Epcot as she spoke every language there.

    You were back at Magic Kingdom in time for the fireworks show at the end of the night. The show was gorgeous and you watched the lights in the sky, your arms wrapped around Loki, enjoying the show together.

    You were swaying on your feet from exhaustion, leaning on Loki for support as you walked back to the ferry. It was too long of a day for you. You hadn’t nearly recovered from your abduction and this was the longest you’d been awake at one time, and the day was a huge whirlwind of excitement.

    Somehow you stayed on your feet through getting to the hotel and changing into pajamas in the bathroom of the hotel room you were sharing with Nat. You didn’t know the rest of the sleeping arrangements right that moment, nor did you much care. Loki was waiting for you and made sure you were safely tucked in bed before he’d go to wherever he was sleeping. “Sleep well, darling,” he told you as he kissed you goodnight. “We have another long day of fun tomorrow,” he added with a grin while you mock-groaned in exhaustion at your first day of fun.

    You were asleep before Nat had finished kicking him out of the room by hitting him repeatedly with one of the pillows.


	27. Chapter 27

    “I should have fed you these before we let you pass out,” Nat commented dryly when you woke a sparse hour later. Your body had freaked out at sleeping in a strange location. It had reminded you too much of your year of constant travel and fear.

    Nat handed you a mug of hot chocolate and two sleeping pills. You set the mug aside for the moment. [You know I can’t take these. They make me talk in my sleep] you reminded her

    “It’ll be alright,” she replied, tapping her ear. You knew she must’ve been wearing the comm devices to say that. “You need sleep and not to have that panic attack that you’re bordering on. Don’t even try to deny it. I know the hell you lived in with constant travel over the last year. Of course you’re jumpy at being in a hotel.” Her tone was kind, commiserating instead of patronizing. She’d lived through horrors too.

    “Take the pills and I’ll tell you stories about my past until you fall back asleep,” she bribed. You sighed and took the pills. She was right. You sipped on your hot chocolate while Nat told you stories of the horrors she had faced in her life and the training in the red room. You would think such horrific stories wouldn’t help you sleep, but it was comforting that she had been through at least equally horrific things as you had.

    *

    You didn’t remember falling asleep. The next thing you knew, Nat was shaking you awake. You groaned and tried to roll over to go back to sleep. She smacked you with a pillow. Loki was so much nicer when he tried to wake you. “C’mon, it’s your turn for the shower. If we don’t hurry, the boys will eat all of the breakfast. And don’t even think about telling me to go down to breakfast without you. I’m not leaving you alone,” she added quickly. You rolled your eyes and reluctantly got out of the bed to go shower and throw on the clothes she had set out for you. You were too groggy from the sleeping pills to argue with her.

    When you left the hotel room, you walked directly into a muscular person-shaped wall. You looked at it stupidly, wondering why there was a wall outside of your hotel room. That seemed like a silly place for a wall. Your brain still hadn’t woken up. “Good morning, darling,” the wall greeted you warmly. You looked up and smiled at Loki, AKA the person shaped wall. He expression was concerned, though.

    “She’s fine, Trickster. Stop Mother Henning,” Nat grumbled, pushing past the two of you to go find her breakfast. You laughed and took Loki’s arm to let him escort you to breakfast.

    “Apparently Lady Natasha thinks I am a bird now,” Loki pouted at you. “She yelled at me for checking on you last night.” You raised an eyebrow; you didn’t remember him coming to check on you.

    “She was perfectly safe in my care. You deserved the stabbing you got for teleporting into our room in the middle of the night,” Nat told him grumpily. “It was after the sleeping pills,” she added for your benefit. That explained why you didn’t remember this event. You looked over at Loki. He didn’t seem injured....

    “Luckily, I decided to send an illusion instead of teleporting myself,” Loki explained with a smile. You sighed in relief.

    The boys were already at breakfast in the hotel’s fancy dining room. Really ‘hotel’ wasn’t nearly a fancy enough word for the place Tony had booked, but it was the best one you could think of. All of the boys stood when you and Nat entered the room. You felt your cheeks heat at the old-fashioned courtesy. Nat didn’t seem affected, or at all surprised, when Clint pulled out her chair for her with a little teasing about how everyone was apparently being formal that morning. Of course Loki pulled your chair out for you and kissed your cheek before he sat in the chair next to you.

    *

    After a ton of coffee and a decent breakfast in you, you were finally more awake. After breakfast, everyone climbed into the limo Tony had acquired. You asked to know where you were going today, but no one would say until Tony announced: “We’re almost there. Reindeer Games, I think now’s the time for everyone’s costume change.” Loki actually smiled at something Tony had said. He was pleased to use his magic for fun, and he loved feeling appreciated for his skills.

    Magic filled the limo and suddenly everyone was wearing Hogwarts robes in the House colors. Your grinned as you evaluated everyone’s Houses. Loki was in Slytherin green of course. So was Nat. Clint was in Hufflepuff. Tony and Bruce were Ravenclaws, and Thor and Cap were Gryffindors. You agreed with everyone’s sorting.

    [We’re going to Harry Potter land?] you signed excitedly. You had taken to calling Universal that after the Harry Potter section had been built. You were also amazed at Loki’s craftsmanship on the robes. They were soft and light, and perfectly accurate and swished perfectly when you moved your hands.

    “Yes, today’s adventure is Universal,” Loki replied warmly, obviously pleased by your joy. You may have been even more excited to see Hogwarts than Disney.

    Security was easier today. Your adventure at Disney yesterday had been all over the news and internet apparently. All of the attractions in the area were expecting your group to show up. Again, Happy came as security and Tony got you all VIP fastpasses. You took a group picture in front of the Universal globe and then it took the entire team’s effort to keep you from running full-out to get to Hogwarts castle.

    When you finally, finally made it, you stared in awe and joy at the castle you knew so well from the page and screen, but had never seen in real life. The last time you’d been to Universal was before the Harry Potter section had been added.

    “That look is worth the entire trip,” Cap said kindly when he saw your expression.

    Loki was the next most enthused about Harry Potter after you since you’d gotten him to read all of the books and watch all of the movies with you. The two of you enjoyed every single aspect of Hogwarts and Hogsmede, much to the enjoyment, and later annoyance of the others. You pointed out every single hidden Easter egg and nod to the books and movies that either of you found. You rode every ride, shared a butterbeer with Loki, listened to Moaning Myrtle in the bathroom, and went through the wand ceremony. You also bought _all_ of the souvenirs to the annoyance of Happy who had to carry them all.

    The team finally dragged you out of the Harry Potter section and reminded you both about the rest of the park. You explored it for awhile, and somehow convinced Loki that the Jurassic Park ride was a little boat ride of animatronic dinosaurs. He yelled at the drop after the T-Rex. He hadn’t expected it at all. You giggled in delight at his surprise. “I’m wet!” he whined like an indignant cat. “And you used me as a shield again!” he complained at you and your giggles. You all had to stop and wring out your robes after the ride.

    After you thoroughly explored the first park, you rode the Hogwarts Express to the other park. Diagon Alley was perfect, though the group was getting tired of you and Loki fangirling over Harry Potter all day.

    *

    “Why are these yellow creatures following me?” Loki demanded indignantly as you were wandering the rest of the park . You laughed in reply. One of the Minions had spotted Loki, recognized him, and started following him. Then another Minion followed, and another.

    [It’s a joke. Don’t be mad] you signed quickly. He gave you a look. You knew that look. It was a demand for an explanation before he decided just how angry he was going to be. You had made him watch all of the Minion movies with you, so you reminded him that they followed the most evil villain they could find, so that’s why they were following him around. You saw the instant of heartbreak in his eyes. [It’s a joke!] you reminded him. The others, especially Thor who knew how Loki was better than anyone were quick to agree that it was a joke and they didn’t mean it.

    You stood up on your toes to whisper in Loki’s ear. “It’s a joke, love. No one thinks that about you,”

    “I know,” he replied softly and you saw the glint of mischief return to his eyes. He was going to play along. “Pardon me for a moment, my darling,” he bid you loudly enough to be heard by the Minons and their handlers. He lifted your hand to his lips to kiss your knuckles. He looked to Thor, who was at your side in an instant, reassuring Loki that you were well guarded while Loki had his fun. Thor draped his arm across your shoulders to remind you to stay _with_ your guard while you were being guarded.

    Loki turned to face the Minions, magic dramatically changing his Slytherin robes to his battle armor as he turned. His armor wasn’t right, though. You realized that this was the armor from New York, not his current setup. You knew for sure then that he was playing around. Especially when he was holding an illusion replica of the ‘glow-stick-of-destiny’ as Tony like to call the staff.

    The Minions cheered in delight at Loki’s transformation. “You dare mock me?” Loki demanded of the Minions his tone coldly angry. “You dare jest? You dare anger the rightful king of Asgard? The ruler of your pathetic realm?” his boomed, drawing the attention of the nearby crowd.

    The Minions babbled among themselves, then one stepped forward with a human translator who wasn’t in costume. “Please, my king. The Minions have meant you no disrespect. They simply wish to offer their services to you,” the human announced while all of those in Minion costumes hurried to agree.

    Loki looked them all over, appraising. He finally inclined his head. “Very well. I could do with some additional servants,” he finally said. He turned and began walking, leading a parade of Minions behind him. The picture you took of it soon became one of your very favorite pictures of Loki. Loki returned to you and offer you his arm. “My Lady?” you placed your hand on his arm and walked with him, leading the procession of Minions to the Minion ride.


	28. Chapter 28

    Again you dreamed of Loki in chains and again you cursed the gods of the visions for not giving you more information. The image changed at your cursing and Loki was in a prison cell with glass walls, but like nothing you’d ever seen on Earth, the walls seemed to shimmer with power. He was looking directly at you, pounding on the glass of his cell, yelling something that you couldn’t make out. The expression of pain, sorrow, and sheer desperation on his face broke your heart.

    *

    Nat woke you way too early the next morning, which was just mean after she’d drugged you again after you got back from Universal. There hadn’t been enough time for the sleeping pills to work their way out of your system. You groaned at her, since the sleeping pills hadn’t worn off. “C’mon, we’re getting an early start today. You can sleep on the drive, but you have to change first,” she told you kindly. You don’t know how you got up and dressed and you surely didn’t remember anything about what you put on.

    You let Loki steer you to the limo, chuckling at how adorably asleep you were. You flipped him off for being mean. He kissed the top of your head. “I’m sorry, darling,” he replied softly. “That was mean,” he agreed. You were dead sleep again the moment you were settled in the limo.

    *

    “Darling, we’re here,” Loki told you, gently shaking you awake when the limo stopped. You groaned, but he provided you with a cup of tea, so you gave him a smile and downed the tea for the caffeine.

    “We have a little bit of a walk. The limo can only get so close,” Tony added as everyone began piling out of the limo. You had an idea what was going on when all of the boys were wearing swim trunks and T-shirts.

    It was a short walk in the pre-dawn to the beach from the limo. You all decided on a spot and set out blankets, chairs, and umbrellas. By the time everything was set up, the sun was beginning to rise. You watched it in awe, amazed by the gorgeous sunrise over the water.

    You spent the morning hunting shells with Loki, daring to get no more than your toes wet. “I bought you a new swimsuit, Y/N! You should show it off!” Tony grumbled once the sun was truly up and the day had warmed. The guys besides Loki and Bruce had all lost their shirts once it warmed enough. Bruce was sitting with a book under one of the giant umbrellas.

    [What swimsuit?] you signed back, precariously balancing your shells as you did.

    Nat just rolled in laughter. “You really weren’t paying attention to what you put on this morning, were you?” she continued laughing as she stripped off her own shirt and shorts to display a very flattering black and red bikini. She tossed a bottle of sunscreen to Clint and laid down on one of the towels. Clint rolled his eyes, but obligingly began applying the sunscreen to her back.

    You rejoined them and deposited your collection of shells next to one of the blankets where they’d be safe. “No need to be self-conscious, Lady Y/N!” Thor boomed, which wasn’t helping the fact that you _were_ self conscious.

    You deflected awhile longer by gesturing to Loki, who was still wearing his t-shirt. “Y/N, you know I don’t do well in the heat,” Loki reminded you. You gave him a look and crossed your arms. He sighed. “You’re not going to give up, are you?” he asked.

    [Are you going to?]

    “Fine,” he huffed and stripped off his shirt, dropping it on one of the beach blankets. “Happy?” he asked while you admired the view. You grinned and nodded.

    [lie down] you ordered, gesturing to the blanket.

    “Bossy today,” he commented with a smirk, but did as you ordered when he saw the bottle of sunscreen in your hand. You were tempted to smack his ass for his sarcastic comment. But that would be rude. So you did it anyway. “Hey! That was my ass!” He yelped and glared at you while you giggled innocently at him. The others laughed at his outburst. He moved to get up to retaliate, though you had no idea what he’d do. You placed a hand between his shoulderblades and sat on the ass you had just smacked so he couldn’t get up to retaliate without throwing you off of him. He huffed and grumbled, but laid his head on his folded arms. You tied his hair up into a bun and got to work, rubbing sunscreen on his back, and massaging the muscles of his back once the sunscreen was applied. He purred in pleasure, your transgression forgotten.

    “Brother, you were supposed to be getting the siren into the water with us,” Thor complained when he caught sight of the scene.

    “She has defeated me,” Loki replied, his voice a moan of pleasure as you continued working on the knots of muscles in his back.

    “Do you require assistance?” Thor asked with a booming laugh, offering to rescue Loki from his awful tormented defeat.

    “Absolutely not. I am enjoying my defeat most thoroughly,” Loki replied and closed his eyes again. You giggled and leaned down to place a kiss on the nape of his neck. “Yes, thoroughly enjoying my defeat,” he added softly. You yelped when strong arms lifted you bodily from Loki’s back.

    “It is your turn, siren,” Thor boomed as he set you on your feet. You looked up at him and stuck your tongue out. You had been enjoying yourself. Loki protested, but got back to his feet, finally agreeing that it was your turn, as was only fair. You sighed and slowly stripped off your shirt and shorts, revealing the skimpy bikini underneath. Good thing you were too tired this morning because of the sleeping pills to know what you were putting on, or you’d never have agreed to wear it, as you were showing way too much skin. Thor cheered and called you lovely while Loki just stared, tongue tied. The tying of Loki’s silver tongue was the greater compliment.

    Loki grabbed the bottle of sunscreen from Thor with a glare before Thor could try to steal his job and apply it to your back. You laughed and settled on the blanket, while Thor mockingly gave up the battle for the honor. Loki’s weight settled on you and you realized that by teasing him you’d made the mistake of letting him think that sitting on the other person was part of sunscreen applying technique, even though Clint had knelt next to Nat when he had gotten her back for her. “You don’t have to sit on me,” you whispered just loudly enough that he could hear you. Your arms were currently trapped pillowing your head, so if you wanted to talk to him it had to be in careful whispers.

    He leaned down to your ear. “Of course I don’t, little siren,” his voice was a warm purr in your ear, lovingly teasing. He deftly tied your hair out of his way and got to work. You melted and purred as he expertly rubbed the tension and stress knots out of your back. “I could get used to this,” he commented at your moans of pleasure.

    He shrieked in surprise when the team started attacking you both with water guns for taking too long to join them. Happy tossed you both a water gun and you joined the fray in earnest.

    You spent the day playing on the beach, which got more crowded as the day went on. You buried Thor in the sand with the help of a herd of small children. With Loki’s help you built a _huge_ sandcastle. Some pieces of it were held together with nothing but magic, but it was gorgeous. You played volleyball on Nat’s team when some dumb teens challenged her. They shouldn’t have challenged her. You not only one, but she spiked the ball into each of their faces at least once each during the match. Tony and Cap grilled burgers for lunch and the argument about the proper way to grill a burger became internet legend.

    “Y/N!” Loki called when he lost sight of you in the water. You’d been playing around and he hadn’t seen you go under. You swam up to him and grabbed his ankle, yanking hard. He toppled into the water, spluttering. You stood again, giggling as he came up spluttering and cursing indignantly. He chased you all the way back to the beach while you laughed. You hid behind Thor when you were safely on the beach. Loki stomped off, not wanting to face off against the combined efforts of you and Thor. You didn’t see him sneak up behind you and you shrieked in surprised when the bucket of ice cold water was dumped over your head. You saw the glimmer of magic around the three of you, protecting everyone on the beach from your surprised shriek. Loki had prepared to protect everyone while he got back at you for your trick.

    *

    After a quick stop at the hotel for a costume change, you were all back in the limo in fancy formalwear. It would have been amazing how fast everyone could change, but the Avengers were used to throwing their uniforms on at every emergency, compared to that, formalwear was nothing. Loki escorted you to the limo in his perfectly tailored suit while you were in a floor length dress and heels. You were glad to have his arm for balance.

    The group wouldn’t tell you where you were going, but you weren’t surprised by that at this point on the trip. Cap did mention that you were going home tomorrow, so this was the last event of the trip. You also got to appreciate how well everyone cleaned up.

    The limo pulled up in front of the fanciest restaurant you had ever seen. Loki helped you from the limo and offered you his arm in formal escort. You smiled and placed your hand on his arm. Tony led the way into the restaurant. He didn’t even need to give his name before you were bowed to your table. It was pretty obvious who your group was. The restaurant was gorgeous and the wait staff pulled everyone’s chairs out when you got to your table. They then proceeded to unfold everyone’s napkins to place them on your laps. It was obvious how fancy this place was. Tony took charge here, ordering for everyone. You didn’t mind, as you would have had no idea to where to even begin.

    Every single thing you ate was delicious and to die for. The team laughed and told stories. Tony kept everyone’s glasses full, though yours was a sparkly drink without alcohol. You didn’t mind not partaking. You had never experience anything as exquisite as the service and food at the restaurant and you didn’t think you ever would again. It was overwhelmingly fun to dress up and have a wonderful evening out with your friends.

    What was more hilarious was when they decided to go to a club after dinner, Tony bribed the doorman to let you in, and your group shocked a whole lot of people by having a danceoff in the middle of the club in your formalwear. It was stupid and silly, but so much fun.

    You went to sleep that night pleasantly exhausted by your whirlwind of a trip. You weren’t ready to go home and face reality, but the trip had been exactly what you needed.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, SO sorry

    That night was plagued with more unhelpful visions. Black and white images of Loki in chains, the prison cell, the long hallway to the throne. You saw him beat desperately on the glass of the cell, screaming in desperation. You couldn’t tell if it was past or future. Couldn’t tell if it was a maybe or a certainty. How could you do anything about it with these useless images. How could you stop this if it was the future? Stupid useless visions. How could you save him? There had to be a way.

    More images came in your desperation. Mjolnir. A large man with a giant sword who didn’t see you as you walked past. A beautiful apple.

    Whispers and sneaking.

    Tricks and lies.

    Your hand drawing a blade down your own arm, whispering a prayer for help, desperation and tears in your voice as your blood flowed.

    *

    It was early the next morning when the team loaded back into the jet. You’d had a wonderful time, but everyone had obligations to get back to. Unfortunately, you were one of the things loaded into the jet. You were so exhausted from dreaming of visions all night that Loki had to carry you onto the jet. The group thought it was because of the sleeping pills and you didn’t correct them. You didn’t want to scare them with visions that you couldn’t be sure were of things that were going to happen and not events in the past, or just your messed up brain making stuff up. There was only one way to be sure, and you weren’t that desperate, yet.

    “Are you alright, darling? Even the sleeping pills usually do not make you this groggy,” Loki’s voice was concerned.

    [I’m fine. Pills don’t wear off fast] you signed. He settled next to you and you laid your head on his shoulder. He pulled you protectively to him, wrapping a throw blanket around you.

    “You _are_ still healing,” he acknowledged. “And that was a whirlwind of a trip.” He must have reassured himself that you were really alright, because he kissed the top of your head and held you safely while you fell back to a doze, free of the influence of the sleeping pills.

    “Brother, it’s been nearly a month, we cannot stall any longer,” Thor’s voice was soft, but his booming tone still caught your attention. “You know you cannot run from this,”

    “I know. I will not try to run. I know it is impossible. Just... please, stall a few more days... please, just a few more days. Please, Thor, please, give me that,” Loki’s voice was begging, downright begging, nearly the tone of a small child sobbing for his older brother’s help.  “Thor, brother, please just a few more days let make sure she’s ok, to make sure she will be ok,” you heard the words he didn’t say: ‘without me’.

    Your eyes snapped open and you looked between the two Asgardians. They both noticed your quick movement, the angry accusing look in your eyes. [What’s going on?] you demanded.

    “Nothing to worry about, darling. There’s just something to take care of back home,” Loki told you, his voice soft and kind now. His silver tongue at work to reassure you. Or was it the conversation with Thor that was the work of his silver tongue? You could usually tell, usually hear his truths. Your mind and senses had been too brutalized over the last year that you couldn’t be sure and didn’t trust yourself enough to know. You only had one option and that was the trust the god of mischief, chaos, and lies. You had to trust Loki, trust that he wouldn’t hurt you.

    [Promise?]

    “Yes, love. We’ve just been putting off this trip home until we found you and made sure you were alright and healing,” Loki replied with a reassuring smile in his tone. He kissed the top of your head. “It should hopefully just be a few days,”

    “Loki keeps insisting on delaying the trip until he’s sure you’ll be ok without him for a few days,” Thor added. You trusted Thor every single time his mouth opened. He was always straightforward and didn’t lie, not matter what or why.

    You rolled your eyes. [I’m not that delicate]

    “You, my darling, are the bravest, strongest person I have ever met,” Loki replied and kissed you.

    When you got back to the tower, you spent a lovely quiet afternoon on the couch with Loki. You read in peace, curled up with Loki, enjoying the peace and quiet, the normalcy of your life, or at least as close to normalcy as your life got.

    The next day was spent haunting the tower, searching out your favorite spots, playing silly pranks on the others, and spending quite a lot of time making out with your boyfriend all over the tower.

    The third day home roused your suspicions, though you kept promising yourself that everything was ok. Loki would surely tell you if something was wrong. He was probably just worried about leaving for a couple of days.

    Loki took you out that day to the mall. It was a lovely recreation of your very first adventure out of the tower together. You saw a movie at the theater and he got to show off his improved Midgardian social abilities by ordering tickets and popcorn without your help. You applauded his efforts. The movie was some kind of superhero love story. It was silly and fun. You spent _way_ too long in the build a stuffed animal store creating the perfect bears. At the end of the fun, you presented him one that was dressed as a princess and he gave you one in return dressed as prince charming. None would ever compare to Lokibear, but it was still fun. You even had dinner that night at the same little Italian restaurant in the mall.

    “It took me a long time to find this again for you. I’m sorry I couldn’t get it back to you sooner,” Loki told you over dinner, holding out a small box to you. You took the box from him and carefully lifted off the lid. Inside was a very familiar locket. You pulled it out of the box with a grin and opened it. Inside was the lock of Loki’s hair. You smiled and snapped it back shut before clasping it back around your neck where it belonged.

    [Thank you]

    “You’re welcome, darling,” he replied with a smile.

    *

    “Stay with me tonight?” Loki asked softly after you’d gotten home. He usually sat guard in your room when you slept, but this was a different request. You raised an eyebrow. “Please?” he asked softly with a vulnerability you weren’t used to seeing from him. You nodded and followed him to his room. He politely turned his back while you slipped into a pair of his pajamas, remembering the night you played in the thunderstorm and he dragged you in here to warm up, dressing you in his clothes that night too, when he needed reassurance that you were safe. You came around him and kissed him when you were dressed. “Adorable as ever, my love,”

    You curled up under the blankets with him and laid your head on his chest as a pillow. He kissed your hair over and over, holding you just a touch too tightly. You leaned up to kiss him, reassuring him. He kissed you back, rubbing your back, your arms. You wrapped your arms around him too, trying to reassure him with your presence. He finally slipped into sleep, his lips still against your hair.

    *

    Thor burst into the room the next morning, making you both jump. “Thor! Get out!” Loki yelled, throwing a pillow at his brother.

    “We must go. Now, Loki. Heimdall has contacted me again. Father is impatient. We are out of time,” Thor announced without apology. You kissed Loki and shooed him toward the door. Loki hesitated. Thor actually glared at him. “Now, Brother.” Loki got out of the bed reluctantly and you followed, taking Loki’s hand.

    “At least let me say goodbye,” Loki told him, firmly, but his tone was off, like he knew he had no room to make demands.

    “Outside where I can call the Bifrost,” Thor replied, his tone softening slightly, but only slightly. “Because Lady Y/N deserves the courtesy,” Thor added cryptically.

    Loki took your hand more firmly and his power flowed over both of you, so he was in Asgardian clothes and you were dressed comfortably in jeans and a t-shirt. You raised an eyebrow at him. That wasn’t a trick he usually employed on you too. “Thor is correct. We do not have a lot of time. I did not want to waste what little we have.” You held tightly to his hand, worried. Something was wrong. The three of you took the elevator downstairs and outside to the grassy spot behind the tower that had runes permanently burned into it from the Bifrost opening in that spot so often.

    “Say your goodbyes, Brother. And tell her the truth. If you do not, I will, and Lady Y/N deserves the truth to come from you,” Thor told Loki firmly. He gave you a sad, hurt look and took a few steps away, as much privacy as you were getting. He was going to make sure Loki told you whatever truth it was.

    [Loki?] you signed, downright scared now. [What’s going on?]

    Loki sighed, hesitated, steeled himself then finally took a breath to speak. “The All-father sent me to Midgard as punishment for the events in New York,” he spoke quickly, forcing the words out. “It was a probation, parole, community service, helping the people I had hurt, to prove I was reformed, or to prove to him that the events in New York really were mind control. Regardless, when we rescued you, when I- when I killed all of those people to get you back. I rightfully tortured that ballroom full of people. They deserved it for what they did to you, and I stand by that decision. The All-father does not agree, and has demanded that I return to stand trial for my actions...”

    [Trial?!?] you demanded, snapping the movements of your hands for emphasis.

    “It will be alright,” Loki told you, pulling you into a hug. “I’ll explain what happened, use the infamous silver tongue on the All-father and be home in a few days,” he told you, though you could hear in his voice that he wasn’t any more sure of his words than you were.

    “You don’t know that,” you whispered, terrified now that the pieces were falling into place. The chains, the cell, all of the visions you’d been having.

    “It will be alright, love. You’ll be safe without me. Someone on the team will stay with you. Natasha said you can sleep in her room. Stark has a security escort for you already so you don’t have to feel that you’re confined to the tower. Everything is set up already. I know it’s tedious and annoying, but we want you to feel safe. You’ll be perfectly alright without me,” he told you again, answering your statement as if you had meant that you had feared for your safety without him and not that you feared for his life or freedom. You felt the tears welling up in your eyes. He wasn’t saying goodbye for a couple of days.

    “No,” you whispered, you couldn’t make your voice louder through the horror. “No, Loki, you can’t-”

    He kissed the top of your head. “I have to, love. Promise me. Promise me you’ll stay safe, that you’ll take care,” he bid you softly, urgently. You nodded, unable to say the words. He leaned down to kiss you goodbye. It wasn’t the goodbye kiss of a long weekend. It was the goodbye kiss of the knowledge that he would never, ever see you again. You wrapped your arms around his neck, holding him too tightly, kissing him too desperately, as though through the power of your lips on his you could make this nightmare end, make this some awful vision that would never, ever come true.

    But you couldn’t.

    It was so very real and you were out of time.

    Loki finally broke the kiss, prying your arms off of him. “I have to go, love. I’ll return to you as soon as I am able, I swear. I love you, my siren, with all that I am, I love you, and I swear to you that I _will_ return the instant I am able,”

    “I love you too,” you whispered. He kissed your forehead and took a step back. He gave you the most heartbroken attempt at a smile, trying to reassure you, even then. Tears spilled from your eyes and streamed down your cheeks.

    Thor took Loki’s arm and led him forcefully to the middle of the Bifrost circle. Thor wouldn’t, couldn’t look at the heartbreak that you were being forced through. He raised his hammer, called to Heimdall, and they were both gone in a flash of rainbow light.

    You fell to your knees sobbing, your heart shattered in a million pieces around you as you stared at the spot where they’d been, willing it to not be true.


	30. Chapter 30

    You don’t know how long you stared at the spot where Loki and Thor disappeared from, kneeling in the dirt outside in the January cold. It felt like a long time, but your grasp on reality seemed to shatter when Loki was taken away from you.

    You couldn’t just sit around and wait. You couldn’t just accept that he was gone. You knew, not from his words, but from his tone, that he knew he was never going to be able to return. You didn’t know if he would be imprisoned or killed, but you couldn’t, wouldn’t allow either, not without a fight. It was time, before the team found out, before they started watching you too closely, to keep you from doing the exact thing you were going to go do.

    You forced yourself back to your feet and with one last glance at the spot your love had disappeared from, snuck back into the tower, taking the stairs and less obvious ways back up to your room. You didn’t want to be caught by the team who would worry and stop you. They’d insist everything would be ok, and you didn’t want or need false promises. You needed to know what would happen and how to help there was only one way to find out.

    You went to Loki’s room first and grabbed the first dagger you found. There were tons of them scattered around the tower. You hesitated again at doing this, but you were so sure that Loki was in trouble, real trouble. You had to try to save him if you could. You also needed to know the truth about what was going on in Asgard. When Thor returned, he would edit events to try to spare your feelings, to try to keep your fragile grip on reality from breaking. It would be thoughtful, of course, but not what you needed. So you took the dagger and slipped into your own room, locking the door and then locking yourself in the bathroom for good measure.

    You placed a towel to catch the blood and had to steel yourself. You’d never done this on purpose, never used the power outside of someone else’s control. You gripped the dagger, made your plan, then made the cut, praising Loki for summoning extremely sharp daggers as you dragged the blade down the outside of your left arm, crossing over so many old scars to open yourself as far to prophecy as you could.

    You closed your eyes, dropped the blade and spoke the words “What’s going to happen to Loki in Asgard? How do I help him?”

    *

    You saw Thor leading Loki in chains down the long hallway from your dreams to the throne. The man with one eye, Odin, you realized, was sitting in the throne, watching impassively at the sight of the heartbreak in Thor’s eyes for having to do this, at the sorrow and pain in Loki’s. You saw the woman with tears in her eyes standing next to Odin’s throne, Frigga, Odin’s wife. She would have run to her sons had Odin not placed a restraining hand on her arm. “Frigga, I have let you stay because this matter concerns your sons. Do not interfere,” Odin told her firmly, but gently. If he loved anything, it was Frigga. She stepped back to her place, but it pained her. Thor stepped off to the side, leaving Loki to face the inquisition alone. Odin turned his attention to Loki. “I sent you to Midgard to prove yourself something more than a heartless soulless monster. You killed over 200 mortals in cold blood when you were supposed to be there working to help the people your previous actions harmed. Explain yourself,”

    Loki took a breath. “I did kill those mortals. I will not deny it. It was in defense of the woman I love,” he started. The vision skipped as he explained how you were abducted, tortured for a year, and how he had killed the people who had hurt you.

    “Your dalliance with a mortal has no bearing on this,” Odin roared at Loki.

    “It is _not_ a dalliance. I love her!” Loki replied. Odin made a ‘bwah’ sound of disbelief.

    *

    Thor was standing in front of Odin, Loki off to the side now, muzzled with some kind of metal gag to keep him from interrupting. “Tell me what happened. It was your duty to watch and control your brother while you were on Midgard. Do not think to lie to me to try to spare him,”

    “When we arrived on Midgard, Loki was harsh, self-centered, even cruel at times. When he met the mortal he even mistreated her, and she is a mute, disabled,” Thor began the story back at the beginning. “That is how you remember him, how he was when you sent him to Midgard, but he has changed, Father, because of her. He is reformed and it is because of her. He loves her as truly as you love mother. It is not a dalliance. She has become his anchor. He was destroyed when she was taken from us. She was tortured for a _year_ while she was kept from us, from him. What would you have done to those responsible were it Mother? Maybe killing those people in that manner was not the wisest decision, but- ”

    “Why would anyone with the power to hide her from you and Loki keep a disabled mortal?” Odin demanded, cornering Thor into answering questions he’d been avoiding.

    “She has powers they thought useful,” Thor finally answered, still avoiding telling Odin what those powers were. Odin thought over that, considering the words, and the...possibilities. He seemed to be wondering what powers you could possibly have that would be worth risking Loki’s uncontrolled rage. “Father, he is reforming. He is redeemable, he feels and shows love again, he cares for others, and excepting when his love was in extreme mortal danger and torture, considers the consequences of his actions with consideration for those involved. You cannot fault a man for fighting with everything he is and with such lack of restraint to save his love from _torture_. I have not seen him the way he is with Y/N since we were children. Do not separate them. Neither of them deserve it, and it will not help Loki if you do. He has made so much progress, Father, please, do not take that from any of us. I finally have my brother back after all of these years.” Thor’s impassioned speech drew such a proud, pleased look from Frigga, though she remained silent. Loki’s expression softened touched by Thor’s defense of him, after everything, Thor still loved him.

    Odin looked thoughtful, but his gaze was far way, almost, almost as if he were seeing the future too.

    *

    Loki was standing in front of Odin again, in chains, but no gag this time. “My verdict is this. I cannot allow you to return to Midgard. You cause war, chaos, and destruction wherever you go and I cannot unleash that against the defenseless mortals. Not again,”

    “Father, no!” Thor protested while Loki stood silently, stoically, hatred for Odin in ever fiber of his being. Frigga watched helplessly.

    “You will return to your previous sentence, spending the rest of your days in the dungeons. You will never see your mortal, or Frigga again,”

    Loki’s expression fell, tears in his eyes. “All-father, please, reconsider-” he started.

    Odin glared. “This matter is resolved. Guards, take him!”

    Loki turned frantically to Thor. “Thor, take care of her. Promise me! Please, Brother, promise me you’ll look after her!” he struggled against the guards and wouldn’t submit until Thor made the promise, until Thor promised that he would take care of you.

    *

    The scene changed and you saw the path you had to take to help, what future had to come next, if there was to be any hope of saving him. There was only one way and you would have to move fast as soon as Thor returned. You couldn’t, wouldn’t let Loki be locked away forever for the crime of saving your life.


	31. Chapter 31

    When you came out of the visions, you bandaged the wound and cleaned up all traces of the blood as fast as you could, before someone decided to check on you. You were glad it was winter and you could hide the new wound under sleeves without question. You had to be careful not to rouse the team’s suspicions. They would stop you if they found out what you were up to. You didn’t blame them that they would stop you, but that didn’t mean you would let them do it. So you let them see you moping and mourning around the tower while you plotted and planned, and made sure you showed up for meals. You couldn’t risk giving them a reason to come looking for you. They were concerned and kept trying to reassure you, of course, but you showed up enough that they thought you were doing ok while waiting for news.

    The rest of the time you spent sneaking around the tower collecting supplies in bits and pieces. It was two days of work collecting the supplies, then hiding your backpack full of them in the bushes by the Bifrost circle. At the end of the second day you sent a text to Fury, warning him that you would need his help for Plan Z soon and not to tell the team. They wouldn’t understand. He wouldn’t betray your secret, since he was the one who had set Plan Z in the first place.

    The entire third day you spent fretting and waiting for the signals that the time had come. You knew it was time when you saw a pair of jets following a shape that looked remarkably like Ironman fly past the windows.

    You slipped down to the Bifrost circle to wait for Thor to return. You needed his help to get to Asgard. You collected your bag of supplies and slung it on your back, settling in to wait.

    It wasn’t long before the Bifrost opened and Thor stepped through. Alone. You bit back tears that he was alone. You had known it was coming and you didn’t have time for them. You had to hurry before the others came down to investigate. They would have seen the Bifrost open.

    You stepped out in front of Thor, drawing his attention to you. “Lady Y/N,” he greeted you. His tone and expression were both filled with nothing but pain and sorrow. He opened his mouth to start to explain, but saw your expression and stopped. “You saw,” he accused. You nodded and watched him look you over, taking in your combat boots, the bag on your back, and the dagger strapped to your side. “You can’t save him from justice, or Father’s verdict,” Thor told you softly.

    “Don’t get in my way, Thor,” you replied softly, your voice barely above a whisper. He would hear you. You had also known you had to get to him before he made it back in the tower and put his comm device back in his ear. Everyone wore them all of the time since they found out the devices worked against your powers. Thor didn’t wear his to Asgard where they didn’t work anyway.

    “I can’t help you. I promised Loki-”

    “Thor. Don’t make me hurt you. I’m going to get him back. He doesn’t deserve that punishment and you damn well know it,” you told him firmly.

    “No, Lady,”

    You sighed and steeled your concentration and focus, pooling your power. “I’m sorry,” you whispered. You did feel really bad for this, for hurting and betraying him, but there weren’t any better options. Not when he refused to help. “Tell me how to get to Loki when I get to Asgard,” you threw your powers of persuasion behind the words, drowning Thor in your power. You’d learned a lot more over about how your powers worked over the last couple of years. Thor fought and he fought hard, but even his Asgardian resistance couldn’t hold you at bay for long and he told you exactly how to get from the Bifrost to the dungeons and the best way to get there seen by as few people as possible. You saw him fighting the compulsions as his words slowed.

    “Sleep,” you ordered the second he stopped talking. He would have stopped you if you didn’t knock him out before he could; and you had to hurry, the others would be here at any moment since Thor hadn’t come inside yet. Thor dropped like a stone. “Sorry,” you murmured again.

    You rushed to Thor’s side and knelt beside him, placing a hand around Mjolnir’s handle. You didn’t try to lift it, you weren’t worthy and that would upset the hammer. It was more sentient that it like to let on. “Hey Meow-meow,” you greeted it. You could pronounce ‘Mjolnir’ perfectly fine, but it like Darcy’s nickname. “I know I’m not worthy, but I need your help. Thor needs your help. His brother is in trouble and we have to go save him. Thor will be sad if Loki isn’t saved. So please, will you help me talk to Heimdall?” you threw all of your persuasion ability at the hammer, feeling ridiculous for talking to a sentient hammer, but it worked and your magic caught it.

    You took a breath and looked to the sky, concentrating. “Heimdall, open the Bifrost,” you ordered loudly and clearly. Except it wasn’t your voice that came out of your mouth. It was Thor’s.

    You let go of Mjolnir when the Bifrost opened. “Thanks Meow-meow,” you told the hammer kindly. You saw the team come running when they saw the Bifrost had opened again, knowing something was wrong when it opened again so soon. You were gone before they got to you.

    You reappeared in front of Heimdall after a dizzying flight across the Bifrost. “You are not Thor,” he informed you, shocked that he had been tricked.

    “No. I’m not. And you did not see me,” you told him firmly. Asgardians took more power than humans to persuade. Heimdall’s eyes glazed a little, but he looked away from you, resuming his post. You slipped from the Bifrost room and on your way, following Thor’s directions.

    You drained more and more power persuading everyone who saw you that they in fact had _not_ seen you. It was exhausting work, but you finally made it to the palace. Not far to go.

    Your plan was going smoothly, until you realized a moment too late that it was going _too_ smoothly. You realized that when you stepped into a side corridor Thor told you was a shortcut to the dungeons and found yourself surrounded by guards with spears, shields, and helmets. All of the spears were pointed at you in an instant by the men who surrounded you. “Stop!” you told them firmly, throwing magic at them.

    One of them jabbed you hard with the butt of his spear, a warning shot. You stumbled and automatically reached for your blade, stopping before they could get too angry with you. “Speak again, mortal, and we will kill you where you stand. Odin wants you alive, intruder, or you would be dead already. Your powers will not work on us,” he asked before you could be stupid and try to overpower them.

    You’d been expected and you’d been played.

    “Surrender, girl. You’re no match for the Einherjar,”

    You raised your hands in surrender. You hated it, hated being defeated when your plan had been solid, but you weren’t stupid and this had been a trap. They took your bag and dagger. You thought that was the end of it until they ordered you to remove your outer garment. Apparently they didn’t know the word for hoodie. Despite your protests, they insisted and had very sharp spears, so you did as you were told, dropping the hoodie to the floor when you were down to the tank top you’d worn under it, your scarred arms in plain view.

    “This is the one,” one of them commented, but as though he didn’t expect the others to hear, though he had said the words loudly enough. They searched you, but didn’t find any more weapons besides the knife in your boot.

    You were perfectly compliant until they brought out the chains and metal gag. You couldn’t submit willingly to that treatment again. You just couldn’t, not after what you’d been through, twice. It was too much and, no, you wouldn’t do it. Not again. It was incredibly stupid, but in your defense, you were crazed by PTSD and painful memories, so you fought them, no matter how uselessly. These were warriors trained from childhood, while you’d had a year of training at best. Your skills were laughable compared to them.

    So you found yourself being led to the dungeon, a limping bruised mess with a black eye, but no new cuts. Even though they’d beaten the shit out of you, since that’s what it had taken to get you restrained, they had been careful not to cut your skin. This really had been a trap. Your hands were bound behind you and you were gagged, at least those were the only chains, though the gag was some awful creation of magic and metal. It wasn’t coming off easily unless they took it off.

    The men started pulling wax out of their ears when you’d been gagged, further confirmation that you’d been expected and this was a trap.

    One seemingly long walk later you were in a hallway of glass-walled cells. At least you thought it was glass, though the material didn’t really matter. The procession of guards stopped in front of the first set of cells and your heart filled with dread, Thor’s directions to the dungeons replaying in your ears.

    The occupant of the first cell looked up from the book he had been too nonchalantly reading, standing from the couch he had been sitting on. He didn’t see you between all of the guards, you were too little and there were too many giant guards. “Odin has sent me a new neighbor. Hopefully this one is more entertaining than the last,” Loki’s voice said dryly. He was feigning disinterest, his voice an icy careful tone.

    The guards didn’t speak to him, just unbound your wrists and shoved you into the empty, completely bare, cell directly across from Loki. “We will return for you when Odin is ready to see you. Hopefully it will be before you die down here, little mortal,” one of the guards sneered before they all turned to leave.

    You saw Loki’s head swivel to look at you fast enough that he must’ve cricked his neck. He stared across the hallway from his cell into yours in shock, horror, and disbelief. “Y/N?” he asked softly. You struggled back to your feet and up to the glass of the cell.

    [Surprise] you signed at him sheepishly. Your rescue plan had failed so very miserably.

    His expression fell to sorrow, pain, heartbreak as he finally accepted that what he was seeing was real. If you were an illusion you wouldn’t have signed, and definitely wouldn’t have signed _that_ as a greeting. Besides, none of the Asgardians besides him and Thor knew how. He had to accept that you were really in Asgard where you had no place being, really hurt, gagged, and really, really in the dungeons with him. His pain and sorrow changed to rage. “Y/N! NO!” he yelled, pounding uselessly on the glass of his cell, angry frustrated tears in his eyes. “LET HER GO!” He roared in the direction of the guards. They ignored him and his roars for someone to let you go. You saw the tears spill from his eyes while you tried to sign reassurance to him that you were ok. He was too blinded by rage and pain to notice and there was absolutely nothing you could do.


	32. Chapter 32

    Loki raged and you had to give up on standing, you were in too much pain to keep abusing your body. So you sat in the front corner of the cell, your back against the wall, sitting next to the glass, watching him until he calmed enough to talk to you again. You took inventory of his cell and realized Frigga must have had the entire room built for him, since it was furnished and you noticed the huge collection of books in one corner.

    You looked over at him when his raging quieted. It took another minute, but he finally seemed to melt back to his usual self. He sank gracefully to the floor of his cell, in the front corner where he could look directly at you, sitting cross-legged as he looked over at you. “So, my darling siren, what are you doing here?” he asked, trying so hard to be your Loki and not the crazed monster Odin thought he was.

    You gave him a small smile for his efforts. [Rescuing you] you signed with a smirk.

    He looked over his cell, then yours. “Excellent job, love,” he commented dryly. You both burst into laughter at the ridiculousness of that comment and your situation. Ok, your laughter was hindered by the fact that those assholes had left you gagged, but the point remained the same.

    [It was going fine until they sprung a trap on me] you signed carefully. You had to sign slower, since the distance and glass would hinder his ability to read your signs. The glass wasn’t perfectly clear, there was a golden edge and shimmer to it.

    “So, what happened after I left?” he asked nonchalantly. You sighed and began telling him the tale of the last few days. It took a long, long time, but he sat and watched silently and patiently as you explained about the visions, the planning and prep work, through your meeting with Thor, the trip through Asgard toward the cells, and your meeting with the Einherjar.

    [Then they brought me to hang out with you] you finished the tale.

    “Why didn’t you just submit? They wouldn’t have hurt you,” his voice was pained as he took in your appearance.

    You looked down at your lap. [I couldn’t. I was tortured, chained, and gagged for two years. I couldn’t submit to living through that again] you reminded him. His eyes filled with rage and tears when he understood that you really, truly couldn’t submit to that again.

    “It was stupid to come after me, love,” he finally told you.

    You shrugged in reply. [I love you. I was not going to leave you here to suffer a fate you don’t deserve] He smiled at that, a true smile full of love and warmth.

    “What did I ever do to deserve you, darling?” He asked warmly, somehow giving you hope in this awful situation.

    Loki thought for a little while over your story, then sighed. “Well, the Allfather is most likely the one who set up the trap. He _can_ see the future after all. He’s gotten glimpses of the future since he lost his eye. Or Heimdall saw it and told him. Heimdall sees everything. Either way, the Allfather was too interested in your powers during the trial. It’s not going to be easy to get you out of here,”

    You both turned at the footsteps coming into the dungeons. “I would not be so sure about that, Brother,” Thor’s booming voice came as he stepped into the hallway between your cells. You both jumped to your feet. He came to your cell and opened it. You hugged him around the neck. Loki looked hopeful, but you saw Thor shake his head. Loki nodded once.

    “Brother, take her home, please, get her out of here,”

    “I cannot,” Thor told him, holding you safely to his warm, muscled side. “She must stand trial for illegal entry into Asgard and sneaking past Heimdall,” Loki looked crushed and a feeling of dread settled over you. Thor turned to look at you. “I am going to remove that. Do not think to use that silver tongue against me again,” he told you firmly. Loki smirked that you were getting addressed with his epithet. You raised your fist, holding out your pinkie to Thor. A smile bloomed on his face and reached his eyes. He linked pinkies with you and you shook them on it. A pinkie promise at it’s finest. He removed the gag and placed it in a pocket. “I hope you haven’t picked up the habit of betraying me all the time from him,” he gestured at Loki.

    “It’s been a long time since I betrayed you, brother,” Loki replied innocently.

    Thor rolled his eyes. “You slipped poison into my coffee the morning before we came home,” he reminded Loki.

    “That wasn’t poison. It was a potion,” Loki’s tone was still too innocent.

    “A potion that would do what, exactly?”

    “Turn you into a child for twenty-four hours,” Loki admitted sheepishly. Thor gestured at Loki as if his point were made by Loki’s words. You giggled at the absurdity and Loki smiled. “So what _are_ you doing with my darling if you’re not taking her home?” Loki’s voice was harsh as he made the demand of Thor.

    “It took a lot of convincing, but I finally got Mother to convince Father to let me take her into my custody,”

    “How in the nine realms did you manage that?” Loki asked, impressed.

    “I convinced Mother that you are less trouble and happier if your mortal is safe and since she is just a little mortal and my friend, I can keep her from escaping,” Thor explained. He turned to you. “Don’t do anything stupid like try to escape. I will not be able to help you second time,”

    “Please, love. Do what you’re told for once,” Loki added quickly. You nodded and both boys looked relieved.

    “So I am taking her to wait for the trial in my chambers-” Thor started and Loki growled. Thor glared right back. “Brother, I make no moves on your lady. It was the only option to keep her out of the dungeons, or would you rather she stay in a cold bare cell just so you can see her?” Loki looked away, ashamed. “I do not know when the trial will be. Mother said you were being brought to it, since it concerns your lady. Until then, she will be safe with me. I will get one of the healers to look at her. She’s _safe_ , Brother,” Thor told Loki firmly, trying to reassure him.

    “I can still dislike it,” Loki grumbled. You went to the glass of his cell. He smiled at you. “I know, darling. I know anything is better than you being down here. I just hate that I cannot be the one to protect you and I have to trust my idiot brother to do it.” You giggled at that. “Please, darling, please actually stay safe this time. Please don’t break your word to me again.”

    [You promised to come home] you reminded him that he had broken his word too.

    He nodded. “So we’re even,” he told you with a small smile. “Fine, can you at least promise to be safe and not to anything stupid until the trial?” You nodded and placed your hand against the glass, wishing you could touch him, hold him, kiss him again. He placed his hand against where yours was, on his side of the glass. “I’m fine, love. Go with Thor, get those wounds looked at. The Einherjar hit too hard for little mortals,” he was trying too hard to be jovial, and reassuring. It brought tears to your eyes. “Brother, you’d better take care of her,” Loki added with a glare at his brother.

    “You know I will. Now, come on, Y/N,” Thor bid you, coming up and wrapping his arm around you. You hesitated, not wanting to leave Loki here, but Thor’s grip tightened around you and with a nod from Loki, he steered you away from Loki’s cell. You reached a hand back for Loki as Thor led you away.

    “I’m fine, darling. Go with Thor. It will be ok. I love you,”

    “I love you too,” you whispered back. He smiled and you knew he had heard you. You couldn’t help hope that everything might somehow turn out ok. With one last glance at Loki, you let Thor steer you from the dungeons.

    “So darling, that was the mortal you love? She loves you truly to have risked so much,” Frigga’s voice came from behind you, from the direction of Loki’s cell. You started to turn, to go back to see what was going on, but Thor’s grip on you tightened and he kept walking, forcing you to go with him.

    “That is not for us to see, siren,” he told you gently. “Mother is not supposed to visit Loki, but she does in illusions. Everyone pretends that they don’t know, since she’s not _technically_ breaking the rules. She loves him too much to let him sit in the dungeons alone. Especially this time.” You nodded and finally consented to going with Thor, though it hurt to leave Loki behind. Thor swept you up into his arms, despite your squeak of surprise and protest. “You’re limping,” he told you softly, gently, but you knew he was letting you hide your face against his chest and finally let the tears spill from having to leave Loki behind, from fear of your own future, and pent up emotions from the last few days.

    You stifled the tears quickly, trying desperately to cling to the glimmer of hope that somehow, someway this would all turn out alright.


	33. Chapter 33

    Thor carried you all the way to the healing room. You didn’t look at any of the healers while they worked on your injuries. They were equally silent, Thor’s presence deterring questions about the tiny mortal in their care. It didn’t take long for them to fix you up with their magic. You got to your feet when they were done a little stiff and sore, but otherwise completely healed. You nodded your head in thanks to them.

    “Thank you for your assistance,” Thor told them, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. “Loki’s lady is mute, or she would thank you herself,” he added, before speculation could start about his relationship with you. “Come, lady,” he bid you, turning both of you to leave the healers. He led you through the halls of the palace. “This is the family wing,” he explained when you’d entered a hallway. He opened a door about halfway down the hall.

    “Your highness,” greeted a couple of maids who had been cleaning the room.

    “Ladies,” he replied warmly with a head nod. Thor was nice to everyone, but he was extra polite to the servants. “Would you kindly find clothing for Loki’s lady for while she is here?”

    “Yes, sir,” one of them rushed off to do as she was bid after glancing at you long enough to estimate your size. “Is there anything else you require, sir?” the other asked. Thor asked her to bring something to eat and she rushed off too.

    “It was stupid to come here after Loki,” Thor informed you when they were gone.

    You shrugged. “It was still the right thing. He doesn’t deserve to be in the dungeons.” You kept your voice to a calm whisper, though it was hard.

    “So you were going to commit treason, break him out of the dungeon, and then what?”

    “Go back home,” you replied. “Odin won’t chase us when we’re back on Midgard,” you explained.

    “How-?” he started, you pointed to the new long scar that ran down the outside of your left arm. He sighed. “Of course. Our friends should have watched you more closely,” he said. You couldn’t disagree on that point. They _should_ have known to watch you more closely. “You _do_ realize that Odin can have you killed for invading Asgard, right?”

    You blanched at that. You knew it was bad, but figured he’d exile you back to Midgard at the worst, not kill you. “Loki, Mother, and I are going to do everything in our power to get you off the hook for being a lovesick mortal. If not, we’re going to fight to get you sent back to Midgard. My point is to focus on yourself right now. Don’t try to save Loki, his punishment has already been decided. Don’t get yourself killed trying to save him. He’s beyond your help right now,”

    “Thor, I can’t leave him in the dungeons here,” you told him with tears in your eyes.

    “Y/N. You _have_ to. Odin will kill you or will never let you see him again if he doesn’t. It’s _over_ , we’ve lost,” Thor told you firmly.

    “I thought surrender wasn’t in your nature,” you snarled at him in reply. He looked hurt at that and sighed.

    “Fine, but not until after we get your life spared. Then we’ll work on figuring out how to help Loki. Ok?” You nodded. You could accept that. You couldn’t help Loki if you were dead. At least not very easily.

    You stayed in Thor’s suite, both of you worrying about the upcoming trial. You argued over the bed that night. Thor finally told you that you had to take it and he would sleep on the couch so you couldn’t sneak past him and escape. You rolled your eyes and insisted the bed was big enough to share and neither of you had interest in the other. He finally relented when you weren’t going to give up. His bed was big enough that you could fit at least two more people in the middle and you weren’t sure any of you would touch. You turned your back to him and he to you. He also laid on top of the blankets to be extra polite. You had a feeling that he was going to get up and relocate as soon as you were asleep. At least you’d made the offer and he was keeping his word to Loki to keep you safe.

    *

    “Remember, lovesick mortal,” Thor told you firmly as you made your way beside him up to Odin’s throne. You weren’t in chains probably only because of Thor’s presence and that you were a tiny mortal, at least according to all of the Asgardians. Though they knew about your powers. They obviously thought they could control you without chains. You didn’t mind. At all. “And don’t speak. I’ll translate,” he reminded you again. You nodded. “Father is up to something. I don’t know what it is, but I am sure I dislike it. Be on your guard and please, don’t do anything stupid just because Loki will be there.” You nodded again and could tell how nervous Thor was. It didn’t help your nerves that you were wearing an Asgardian dress and soft indoor shoes instead of your jeans and combat boots. You felt even more uncomfortable and out of place.

    You were supposed to stand meekly in front of Odin’s throne. You really intended to. Really, really you did, but you saw Loki standing in chains between two guards, off to the side and your feet ran to him on their own. Stupid feet. Your arms were around his neck in and instant, your fingers in his hair as your lips met his. He hesitated the briefest instant, knowing this wasn’t the plan, but succumbed to the desperation of your mouth on his. He finally broke the kiss. “It’s ok, love. I’m ok,” Thor grabbed your arm in exasperation and dragged you over to where you were supposed to be standing.

    “I told you, Father. Her actions are those of a lovesick mortal,” Thor told Odin as he got you standing in the right place. You looked down at the floor, embarrassed and remembering you were supposed to be pretending to be a meek little helpless mortal.

    “You said you can translate for her?” Odin demanded, his tone and demeanor didn’t give anything away. Thor nodded. Odin turned to you. “You have broken into Asgard, slipped past our guards and watch. Why?” Odin demanded of you.

    You stuck to the story they could prove. You took a step back so Loki could watch your answer too, no one had been able to inform him of the plan and your story. You signed slowly and carefully, Thor still wasn’t the fastest with ASL and this was important, plus Odin and Frigga were watching curiously. So you signed a story about how you found out Loki wasn’t coming back and couldn’t stand the thought of spending the rest of your life without him, not after he’d risked so much on your account. You loved him too much and had to come to Asgard to see him.

    You made sure to mention nothing about rescuing him. They all knew though and the argument that you were just coming to see Loki was ruined when your backpack full of supplies and daggers was displayed. They didn’t know what all of the items were, but they were smart enough to put two and two together.

    “What are her powers?” Odin demanded of Thor. You blanched, knowing then that you’d been convicted. He was deciding your punishment to breaking their laws. You saw Thor and Loki stiffen when they caught it too.

    You stood by helplessly while Thor listed off all of your powers, including your power of prophecy. Odin seemed to perk up at that and questioned Thor on the accuracy of your prophecies and strength and abilities of your other powers. You wanted to run back to Loki and wrap your arms around him, but you had to hold your ground and wait for the verdict.

    “I wish to see this prophecy ability,” Odin said.

    “Father, what have her powers to do with this trial?” Thor demanded.

    “She is guilty of invading our lands and attempting to release one of our most dangerous prisoners. The question is to her punishment,”

    “Send her back to Midgard!” Thor pleaded, desperation in his voice. He didn’t want you killed for the crime of trying to help his brother.

    Odin shook his head. “I will not have her sneaking her way back in again,”

    “You cannot enslave a mortal for your own agenda,” Frigga protested, speaking up in defense of you if only because Loki loved you.

    “And I shall not,” Odin agreed pleasantly. “I am offering her a place in Asgard and her life in exchange for her service to the throne,” you stiffened, realizing that he was basically enslaving you to keep you alive. He was going to make you work here for him, giving him prophecies.

    [Tell him to free Loki] you signed quickly at Thor. [I’ll do it, but he has to-] Thor hesitated. [Thor!] you glared at him.

    “She wants Loki’s freedom added to the bargain,” Thor finally said before you opened your mouth to do it yourself. Loki couldn’t even fight or protest. He would have, but your choices were your life or your freedom. He actually opened his mouth to protest, and had a gag shoved in it by the guards for his effort.

    Odin thought that over, actually thought it over. “Let me witness this prophecy ability,” he finally said. You nodded and reached for a dagger, mouthing curses when you remembered you weren’t armed. You turned to Loki who shook his head. He wasn’t armed and couldn’t summon a dagger for you. Thor nudged you and held up a knife.

    “Would you like me to-?” he asked. You nodded and held out your arm to him. “When I make the cut, ask your question.” You glanced over at Loki who was helplessly watching from the sideline. He couldn’t do anything to help, chained and gagged as he was. You hissed in pain when Thor made the cut, felt the doorway to prophecy open and vaguely heard Odin ask a question. You didn’t know what it was or what your mouth answered in reply. You floated on the haze of prophecy, trying to see your path out of this. The visions all told you the same thing: take Odin’s offer it was the only way.

    It took a minute to fight though the haze when the visions ended. Thor was tying a strip of cloth over the wound on your arm. “Y/N?” he asked. You nodded when your head had cleared.

    “Very well. In exchange for your service to the throne, I will give you Loki,”

    “My son is _not_ a bargaining chip, Odin,” Frigga turned on him then, anger in her tone and body language, while Loki snarled behind his gag, offended that Odin was trying to pawn him off like a slave. You could tell it was out of character for the normally calm and gentle Frigga. “He is not property for you to give away like a slave,” she snarled.

    “Of course he isn’t. However, his hand in marriage and his freedom from the dungeons _are_ bargaining chips. If he loves her as much as he claims, then he will keep out of trouble to keep her alive and keep himself out of the dungeons,” Odin told her. She looked shocked and it threw her from anger.

    “Why do you want Y/N so badly?” Thor demanded.

    “She can see the future more accurately than any seer here. I only get glimpses and Heimdall only sees the present. These are not enough to keep our land safe. Her services will be useful to us and the defense of all nine realms,” Odin turned to you, addressing you properly. “That is my bargain, child, accept service to the throne, spare your life and earn Loki his freedom through marriage to you.”

    You looked over at Loki. He had to agree to this too, since you’d thrown him into the bargain. He nodded, though it cost him. This wasn’t how he wanted any of this to happen, but you’d both do it to save both of your lives.

    You looked back to Odin and nodded. He actually smiled. He held up a hand and a gorgeous, delicious-looking perfect apple appeared in it a moment later. It floated in front of you. “Accept this as a seal of the bargain,” he bid you.

    You took the apple, confused and bit into it despite the shouts of “NO!” from Thor and Frigga and Loki’s muffled yells.


	34. Chapter 34

    Oh gods, what did Odin do to the apple to get _that_ reaction from the reasonable people in the room?

    “By the norns. Father, where did you even _get_ one of those?” Thor demanded, so shocked that he wasn’t acting the right questions. You had swallowed your bite of apple and just stared at the golden apple, praying that you wouldn’t find out it was poisoned. That would suck after all you’d been through. It would also be illogical with how much Odin seemed to want your powers.

    “Odin! You cannot just turn mortals into our kind without their consent!” Frigga scolded Odin at nearly the same time Thor spoke.

    You just stared at the apple in your hand.

    Definitely not poison.

    It was a golden apple. Your mind whirred, trying to remember the myths. Apples, apples, poison apples kept coming to your mind unhelpfully. You needed something less Disney, more Norse mythology. You’d read up on the myths since meeting Thor and Loki, but of course they were slow to come to your mind now. Also most everything in them was wrong, though there were truths hidden among the lies.

    Idun’s apples, you finally remembered. Idun’s golden apples granted immortality and eternal youth to the gods of Norse mythology.

    “Idun’s orchards thrive. They have just been kept hidden from the mortals. There is no need for hysterics. The deed is done. One bite of the golden apple is all it takes as you all know. It is an honor to bestow our immortality upon a mortal. Besides, we could not have a mortal marrying a prince of Asgard,”

    “And so her powers will be useful to you forever? You claim Loki is a soulless monster, yet he is the one fighting for love and you are ignoring the concerns of everyone around you for your own selfish gain,” Frigga’s voice was harsh, icy, cold, so unlike the warm nature you’d heard of her from Loki. Odin wisely didn’t answer. He was obviously in deep trouble with his wife. If anyone could properly get back at him it was her.

    “The wedding will be in three days’ time. You’re dismissed, all of you,” Odin ordered firmly, trying to end this trial on his terms. You hoped Frigga slapped the shit out of him.

    You snapped quickly to get Thor’s attention and gestured to Loki, who was currently being dragged away by the guards. “Father, keep your word and set Loki free,” Thor boomed. You shot him a grateful look. Odin nodded to the guards and you ran over to Loki as the guards set him free of the chains. He opened his arms as you ran into them, holding him too tightly. He held you with the same intensity.

    “I thought I was going to lose you,” he whispered against your hair.

    “Brother, we should get out of here,” Thor’s voice was soft for once as he joined you

    “Go away, Thor,” Loki said softly.

    “Loki...” Thor’s voice was concerned. You looked over at him and he started steering the two of you out of the throne room. You kept an arm around Loki, trying to keep from being separated from him again, now that you’d gotten him back. Thor stopped forcing you along the hall when you were in a quiet corridor. “Both of you be careful. Don’t do anything stupid, reckless, or mischievous. If it involves stepping out of your chambers it is probably a stupid idea,” Thor told Loki firmly.

    “I’m not stupid, brother. I know we’re being watched. Besides, you should know how Idun’s apples affect mortals. The Allfather only set the wedding for three days from now to make sure she’s had time to make the transition before then,” you glared and jabbed him hard with a finger. He kissed the top of your head. “Sorry, darling,” he had fallen into the habit people had of forgetting you were a living being that can _hear_ people talking when you’re in the same room with them. “Sorry. It’s been a long few days, but that’s no excuse,” he kissed the top of your head again. You nodded and laid your head against his chest.

    “I thought I lost you,” you whispered. Another kiss and his arms tightened around you.

    “I know, darling, I know,”

    “Um... did I understand Odin right that he’s making us get married, and I’m immortal now?” you asked them both in a soft whisper. This was too important of a question to not say the words. Neither of them would look at you.

    “It’s not how I would have chosen either of those events...” Loki finally said softly.

    “It was the only way to save both of your lives and you know it, Loki,” Thor interrupted. Loki glared at him and drew a dagger from thin air. You sighed and took it from him. He let it go instead of risking hurting you. There was another one in his hand a moment later. You rolled your eyes and took that one too.

    “It wasn’t _your_ life the Allfather meddled with. Again,” Loki snarled at Thor, drawing yet another dagger. You hit his hand in the exact spot he showed you to make him drop it. He looked over at you and grumbled “Why did I teach you that?” you smiled up at him innocently.

    “No, and I am not pleased with his methods either, but I can’t help be pleased that you’re alive and out of the dungeons. Surely you can put up with a marriage and your lady being treated as a princess, since she will be,” Thor was trying to be reasonable. That was the wrong approach with Loki. Loki wanted to rage and scream and vent about what Odin had done. Thor should’ve known Loki better by now.

    “Thor, stop trying to be reasonable. You’ll just piss him off more,” you reminded him. Loki looked over and gave you a smile, then looked concerned.

    “Why aren’t you more upset about this?” he asked warily, catching the glint in your eye.

    “I’m upset, but ranting and raving over it won’t help. We’ll do what we do best, plot and plan and make the most out of the situation we’re in,” you told him. He vanished all of the daggers and grinned.

    “I have sorely missed you, my darling siren,” he said, finally relaxing back to himself. He hugged you again, as if afraid he would lose you again if he let you go. “You should finish that apple, by the way. The Allfather was correct that it only takes one bite of Idun’s apples, but it’s much faster if you eat the whole thing,”

    “What aren’t you telling me?” you asked him, but pulled the apple from your pocket and obediently ate the rest of it while you were waiting for him to reply.

    “Those apples are magic, but ancient magic. They’re...like fae magic. It’s a boon, but there’s a price, as with all ancient magics. It’s not just poof you’re immortal. It’s a hard transition and then you’re Asgardian and age like we do,” Loki tried to explain.

    “Great...” you grumbled. “That sounds painful. Can I slap Odin for springing this on me?” you asked. Both boys looked shocked, then laughed.

    “I would gladly watch that, darling, but he would smite you for even attempting it. Besides, I’m sure Mother is dealing with him quite effectively. She can be as vicious as I can when she is angered,” Loki’s smile was malicious. The apple core vanished from your hand. “Instead of slapping the Allfather, why don’t we get you to bed so we make sure you survive this transition with at little discomfort as possible.” You make a small surprised noise as he swept you into his arms. He nodded at Thor. “Brother,”

    “You’re taking her to your chambers?” Thor asked. Loki inclined his head.

    “I’m surely not taking her to _yours_ ,” Loki replied dryly. You giggled and wrapped your arms around his neck. Thor laughed and walked with you to the family wing. “The maids better not have messed with my books. I finally had them organized the way I wanted them,” Loki grumbled as you walked.

    “ _That_ is your concern?” Thor asked jovially.

    “Of course not, bumbling oaf, but it’s something I can worry about and actually _do_ something about,” Loki grumbled. Thor nodded and clapped Loki on the shoulder.

    “Everything will turn out alright,” Thor tried to be reassuring.

    “I sure hope so,” Loki didn’t sound convinced. You leaned up to kiss his cheek. He smiled at you. “I know, we’ll plot and plan and get through this hurdle together. I can’t express how glad I am to have you back, love. Even if our circumstances aren’t exactly ideal right now... I hate that the Allfather forced this marriage on us and immortality on you. While I would love to marry you some day, I wish that we’d been able to decide for ourselves when and how...”

    “We will when we go home,” you whispered in his ear so softly that Thor would have no chance of hearing.

    He gave you a look. “What are you planning?” he whispered back, just for your ears. You shook your head. Not yet, but until you had a better plan.

    “Whatever you two troublemakers are whispering about, stop it,” Thor grumbled at you, wisely not trusting either of your intentions. You both laughed at him in reply. Things would work out, as per usual, you just had to bide your time and wait for the signs.


	35. Chapter 35

    Loki’s suite was plush and soft and comfortable. There were plush chairs and a couch by the fireplace, bookshelves lined every wall and a desk with carefully stacked scrolls and papers on it in his sitting room. He set you back on your feet and kissed you deeply. You returned the kiss. You had to break it when you started coughing your lungs out. Loki frowned. “This is going to be difficult,” he warned as he led you to his bedroom. “Ancient magic is not to be trifled with.” You could tell he was underestimating so he didn’t scare you.

    *

    The following days were hell. The memories of them came in bits and pieces. Loki fretted nearly constantly over the dangerously high fever, trying to get you to eat something, drink something. He used his Jotun form and ice powers to try to bring the fever down.

    He didn’t lie that it was a hard transition. Your entire body was rebuilding itself as Asgardian. You had read of some vampire transformations that were more difficult, but not many. Plus they were fictional and you were not.

    You woke once to find Thor sitting next to the bed, polishing Mjolnir humming an old lullaby. “Thor?” you croaked, your voice trapped at a hoarse whisper because of the coughing, confused as to why he was here.

    He smiled over at you. “Yes, Lady Siren,” he reassured you kindly. He helped you sit up and pressed a glass of some kind of fruit juice into your hands.

    “Where’s Loki?” you asked before you obediently drank the juice. Loki had warned that the fever was drying you out and you had to stay hydrated. So you tried to listen to him and drink something during the times you were actually awake.

    “He went to the healers to review some of their texts. He will return soon. He asked me to keep you company while he was away.”

    *

    “Mother, are you sure she will make it through?” Loki’s voice. “She was tortured so recently.” Cool, but not Loki-cold, hands on your temples.

    “She will make it, dear. Do not fear. The transition is hard on mortals. You know how the ancient magics work,”

    “I know, but...”

    “You love her?” Frigga supplied. “It is obvious, darling, with the lengths you have gone for her. The worst is almost over,”

    “Darling, if you are awake enough to eavesdrop, you are awake enough to drink something,” Loki chided you softly. You managed to stick your tongue out in his general direction without opening your eyes. He chuckled and helped you sit up, holding the glass to your lips when you couldn’t manage it yourself. He laid you back down gently. “Sleep, love. It’ll be over soon,” his cold lips pressed against your forehead and you sank back in to fevered dreams.

    *

    Fevered dreams came in black and white. It was hard to remember them, though you knew they were important. You also realized that you had seen these images before. You had seen this future already, when you were asking how to save Loki. You were still on the path the original visions had put you on.

    Stupid visions causing you this pain and getting arrested and tried for crimes against Asgard. That wasn’t nice of them.

    *

    You woke for real with your head on Loki’s bare chest. He had fallen asleep reading, the book had fallen to his lap. His fingers were still wound in your hair, where he’d obviously been petting it. You leaned up and kissed him. His eyes snapped open, startled awake. “Sorry,” you whispered. He smiled brightly.

    “You’re awake!” he told you too enthusiastically and hugged you too tightly. You squeaked when he did.

    “I am. I wasn’t asleep the entire time,” you reminded him.

    “Yes, but this is the most lucid I’ve seen you in two days, darling. I was worried,” he kissed your forehead. “Mother said you’d wake in time for dinner. Are you up to going?” Loki asked after you’d kissed him a couple more times to reassure him that you were awake and not actively dying.

    You nodded. “But I need a shower first.” You reminded him. He chuckled.

    “No showers here, love. One of the maids drew you a bath,” he gestured to the doorway that obviously led to a bathroom. You kissed him again and went to get said bath. Your body felt uncoordinated and strange as you walked, also weak from two days in bed with a fever. One stupidly hot bath later and you were feeling nearly back to normal, you also noted that your arms still bore all of their scars. Transforming into an Asgardian hadn’t changed that.

    The aforementioned maids helped you dress and did your hair. They finally let you leave the bathing room when you were dressed in a floor length gown with your hair carefully braided in some elaborate style you would never be able to repeat. Loki was waiting in his sitting room, dressed formally as well, and looking amazing in Asgardian formalwear. He smiled brightly when he saw you and bowed over your hand to kiss your knuckles. “You look lovely, darling,” he told you softly, earning coos from the maids who were watching the romance enraptured. You stood up on your toes to kiss his cheek. You, Loki, and Thor all had seemed to silently agree to hide the fact that you could talk to Asgardians.

    Loki offered you his arm. You placed your hand on it comfortably and let him walk you to dinner. Thor met you on the way, also dressed more formally than usual. The three of you sat at the table just below Frigga and Odin’s. At least you got to sit with your friends. There was a short announcement from Odin about how he had bestowed the honor of immortality upon you and how you were marrying Loki in the morning.

    Shit.

    You were getting married in the morning.

    You weren’t ready for that.

    Neither was Loki if you could read the ever so slight change in his expression properly.

    


	36. Chapter 36

    You found yourself pacing Loki’s sitting room in the middle of the night after he had eventually fallen to sleep. You couldn’t tell him your fears. He wouldn’t understand and would take them personally. That wasn’t something you could do to him.

    You slipped out of Loki’s suite into the hall and made your way to Thor’s. He was the only other one here who you could remotely trust. You trusted Loki, but you couldn’t break his heart by voicing this particular fear to him. So you knocked on Thor’s door politely, then loudly, then burst in without invitation.

    Thor was in bed, snoring loudly and you prayed he was wearing pants this time as you shook him awake. He bolted upright and grabbed Mjolnir from next to him in the bed. You yelped and raised your hands to defend yourself as you scrambled away from his bed. “Sorry,” you said softly and turned to leave, thinking this was stupid now that you’d been scared by something more real.

    “Y/N, wait! I’m sorry. You startled me,” Thor told you as he got out of the bed. You kept your back turned, wisely realizing that he probably did not wear pants to bed. You suspicion was confirmed when you caught a glimpse of his hand pulling a pair of pants off of the floor. “Why are you here? Did something happen with Loki?” he asked when he was decent. You wrapped your arms around his waist, tears in your eyes. He held you in his strong arms, his warm muscled presence reassuring.

    “I’m scared, Thor,” you admitted in the whisper the Asgardians could handle.

    “Did Loki hurt you?” he demanded, jumping to the obvious, but wrong conclusion. “Even when you are married, he has no right to force you-” still obvious conclusion. Still wrong.

    You shook your head. “No, not that.” Fuck, you hadn’t even thought of _that_. Yet another thing of this whole whirlwind wedding that you weren’t ready for. Loki was a gentleman, you reminded yourself firmly and wouldn’t press. “It’s not Loki, not anything he’s done,” you corrected quickly, used to dealing with Loki who would call you on the lie.

    “What is it, then?” Thor asked gently.

    “I have to get _married_ tomorrow, Thor. I love Loki more dearly than anything, but, I’m scared. Neither of us chose this,” Thor held you while you poured your heart out, divulging all of your fears. He listened and didn’t interrupt, letting you spill your worries.

    “My brother loves you. If you had seen him during the year you were abducted you _never_ would question that. I know it is happening sooner than either of you would wish, but I believe wholeheartedly that you would have wed eventually. What Father did and these orders are...unconscionable, but you are both alive and out of the dungeons,” Thor reminded you. “Listen well, I know Loki better than anyone, besides Mother. He will know you are afraid and will make sure nothing about your relationship changes until _you_ are ready for it to. And if he even thinks about pressuring, well, Mjolnir and I will have some things to say about that.” You actually giggled at that. Thor was always so overprotective. “Everything will work out alright,”

    Thor’s door burst open again. “Thor? Have you seen Y/N? She’s missing!” Loki’s voice was frantic as he burst into the room to the scene of Thor’s arms around you. He snarled and rushed over. “What’s going on here?”

    Thor chuckled, ignoring the dagger at his throat. “Little sister was suffering a slight case of pre-wedding jitters,” Thor explained lightly as he removed his arms from around you. “I knocked some sense back into her for you, brother. It is my job after all, especially as she has no maid of honor to do it,” Thor’s open honesty diffused Loki’s jealousy efficiently.

    You went to Loki and wrapped your arms around his slim waist. “Are you alright, darling?” he asked, vanishing the dagger and holding you.

    You nodded. “Just nervous,” you told him softly.

    He kissed the top of your head. “I know, love. It’ll be alright,” he reassured you. He still glared at Thor, as if not quite believing the story, but it was hard to distrust Thor, and you had come to Asgard to save him, you wouldn’t stray. “Come on, we’ll have some tea and try to go back to sleep. We all have a long day tomorrow.” You nodded, waved to Thor, and went with Loki back to his suite. He held you too tightly. “I was so scared when you were gone when I woke,” he told you when you were safely back in his sitting room.

    “If I makes you feel better, I found out the hard way that Thor sleeps with his hammer, but not pants,” you grumbled. Loki laughed at the absurdity of your statement.

    “I’ve known that since we were children,” he replied, still laughing. You curled in his arms, sipping on tea with him. “Are you going to tell me what fears had you seeking Thor’s company?” he asked softly, a hint of edge, anger, and hurt in his tone.

    “I was nervous for tomorrow,” you admitted.

    “And why not confide in me?” his voice was soft, scared.

    “I... I didn’t want to put you through that,” you tried to find the words that would explain, but not offend. “I was nervous, we’re getting married so fast and with neither of us _actually_ consenting to it. I knew that if I told you about my nerves, you would think it had to do with you personally, and not with the situation we’re in. Thor is really good at knocking sense into people in such a nice manner that you can’t hate him for it...” you added quickly. “I didn’t want to hurt your feelings or make you think that my nerves were because I don’t want to be with you,” you were babbling and shut your mouth quickly with a sigh. “I can’t explain things well, especially at whatever godawful time of the morning it is,”

    Loki thought over your words and finally nodded. “I think I understand,” he finally said. “You wanted reassurance from someone who was less...emotionally involved in the situation?” he suggested.

    “That’s a good way to put it. Why can’t my brain come up with good ways of saying things?” you whined.

    Loki chuckled and kissed the top of your head. “Darling, I am _known_ for my silver tongue. And you have barely spoken to anyone in over nine years,”

    “Valid point,” you consented and returned to your tea. With some cajoling and threats of sleep spells, Loki finally got you back to bed. The next day really would be long.

    *

    “Thor! Get out of here!” Loki’s shouts woke you the rest of the way as Thor burst into the room the next morning. You yelped and pulled the blanket up to cover your chest, though you were far from indecent.

    “You best be wearing pants, brother,” Thor told Loki jovially. Loki spluttered something, only half-awake. An instant later, he was thrown over Thor’s shoulder.

    “Thor! You oaf! Put me down!” Loki protested.

    “No,” Thor replied jovially, making you giggle at the sight.

    “Thor, put me down! Seriously, no one wants to look at your ass first thing in the morning.” You just laughed harder.

    “Brother, you know it is against tradition to see your bride before the wedding,” Thor explained jovially.

    “That doesn’t mean I want to look at your ass instead!” Loki shouted.

    “And here I was prepared to be generous, brother,” Thor replied kindly, unphased by Loki’s anger. Loki paused his tirade.

    “Go on...” he said warily, and grumbled something about Mother making him promise not to stab Thor today. Thor set Loki on his feet so Loki was facing away from the bed, and swiftly tied a strip of cloth over Loki’s eyes. “I fail to see how this is generous, brother,” Loki grumbled. Thor took a step back and turned Loki back to the bed.

    “I am allowing your lady to kiss you goodbye until you see her at this evening’s ceremony,” Thor replied kindly. “It is most generous.” Loki grumbled, but submitted to the treatment. You scrambled off of the bed and went to kiss Loki, standing up on your toes. Loki wrapped his arms around you and kissed you deeply. Thor finally had to drag Loki away. “You both have things to do,” Thor grumbled. He threw Loki back over his shoulder.

    “Thor!” Loki protested.

    “I can’t risk having you run into something,” Thor replied too jovially. He was enjoying this too much. “Y/N, Mother will be here soon to help you with your preparations,” he warned you. You nodded and dressed in a simple dress before Frigga arrived.

    You spent a silent, shy breakfast with Frigga, well, you were silent, she told stories of Thor and Loki from when they were children which made you laugh. She was so warm and friendly that it was impossible not to like her. She also didn’t seem offended or concerned that you didn’t speak to her.

    You spent the rest of the day in preparations, dress fitting, hair, makeup, and Frigga’s lessons on the events of the ceremony.

    After a long day of preparations that somehow was the longest day ever and flew by too fast, you found yourself standing alone in front of the throne room doors in a gorgeous perfectly fitted white dress and a bouquet in your hands while you wondered how exactly this had happened. The doors opened, music started, and you slowly, carefully made your way to the throne again. The room was packed with people and you were so very alone.

    Your gaze caught on Loki standing before the throne in his formal finery. Thor was standing just behind him in the traditional best man’s place. The look on Loki’s face made all of this worth it. He was watching you like you were the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Even when others in the crowd whispered about your scars and what the handsome prince could have seen in you.

    If you knew you would have gladly told them.

    So instead you focused on Loki and making it to him without falling on your face. You somehow succeeded in that endeavor, passed the bouquet to a maid who was there for that express purpose since you had no maid of honor, and took Loki’s hands.

    Odin started speaking, and for the life of you, you had no ability to focus on the words he said. You were too busy thinking of what you had to do next, ignoring the whispers, and most importantly how adorable Loki was with that particular expression on his face. The one where he thought you were the most beautiful woman ever. Thankfully, he didn’t seem able to hear the whispers, or you were sure there would be quite a few guests with daggers sticking out of them.

    You had to pay attention when you one single line came up. In consideration for the fact that you were basically mute and not advertising that you _could_ speak outside of prophecies, vows were being skipped. All you had to do was exchange rings and say (or mouth) I do.

    And kiss Loki.

    That part you could handle.

    In the meantime. “Do you, Y/N, take my son, Loki, prince of Asgard, to be your husband, to love and cherish for all of your days?” Frigga asked you kindly.

    You looked at her, nodded, and whispered your “I do,” so softly that none of them should have been able to hear. She smiled warmly and handed you a man’s gold ring.

    “Then I bid you give him this ring as a symbol of your eternal bond,” she told you kindly. You turned back to Loki and slipped the ring on his finger. His eyes lit up even more if that were possible. She repeated the process for Loki, who answered with the most heartfelt ‘I do’ and slipped a beautiful intricate gold ring on your finger.

    One fantastic kiss later and you were officially married.

    Loki escorted you to the reception where there was way too much food and even more ale and mead. At one point during the evening, Thor came over and kissed your forehead. “Welcome to the family, little sister. Sorry for this,” he added softly. He raised Mjolnir in the air to the cheers of the crowd, and then carefully set it in your lap, to even more cheers.

    [Thor!] you protested.

    [It’s tradition. The bride asks for Thor’s blessing and a... replica... of Mjolnir is placed in her lap] Loki signed back quickly. “My brother will be removing the symbol of his manhood from my bride very quickly,” he added aloud to laughter from the crowd, and most especially Thor, who did indeed remove Mjolnir from your lap.

    You and Loki were presented with a cup of mead to share, which you did gladly. Asgardian mead was _delicious_. There was dancing and singing and tales were told all night. You had a wonderful time dancing with Loki. He was all grace on the dance floor. Somehow you got out of singing.

    [Did anyone warn you?] Loki signed near dawn.

    [About what?]

    [Damn] You saw three warriors and a warrior lady, plus Thor approach your table. [I am _so_ so sorry] Loki signed. Before you could ask, Thor and one of the warriors had lifted your chair high in the air with you still in it. The other warriors lifted Loki’s in the same manner while the warrior lady was leading. You fought not to shriek, wondering what the hell they were up to. The entire crowd was cheering and catcalling. The lady led the procession through the halls of the palace. You swore you were going to kill Thor for doing this with no warning as you held on to the chair and tried not to fall off. They were all cheering when they set your chairs down

    “Have fun, you two~” the thin blond warrior bid you while the others cheered.

    Thor came over and hugged you. “The escort was tradition,” he whispered in your ear. “Even so, do not feel pressured-”

    You laughed and shoved him away, sticking your tongue out. The warriors clapped Thor on the shoulder and they took the chairs with them as they left you and Loki alone outside of Loki’s suite.

    Loki wrapped his arms around you. “I’m sorry, I thought someone would have warned you. The escort is an old tradition. My brother and his idiot friends carrying us is because he’s an oaf. Darling, I want to make it very clear that I am not expecting-”

    You cut him off by standing up on your toes to kiss him. There were cheers from Thor’s friends who were spying at the end of the hall. With your hands on his waist you stepped backwards into his suite, pulling him with you, your lips still pressed against his.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The author is ace and did not have the spoons to write the actual smut. I'm sure you all can imagine something awesome happening based on the details I DID give you. 
> 
> Please don't yell at the author for not writing the smut.

    You pulled Loki into his suite and he kicked the door shut behind you, to the cheers of Thor and his friends. Loki broke the kiss as soon as you were inside. “Thank you for appeasing Thor and his idiot friends, but we really do not need to do this. I am not expecting-”

    It took you singing for him before he’d believe that you were willing. “Darling~” his voice was strained at your siren song and you smirked at him. “Unless you would like for this to end with just your wonderful singing, you should probably stop singing now,” his voice was husky. Needless to say, he was very much in the mood and knew you were willing.

    His mouth stayed on yours the entire time, which was impressive in and of itself. He swallowed your moans of pleasure and yells of ecstasy. He didn’t want to be rendered unconscious tonight and was protecting you both in the least offensive manner possible.

    *

    You startled awake from your tangle of naked bodies at the sound of an intruder in Loki’s suite. You sprang to a sitting position, holding the sheet to your chest with one hand, a dagger in the other courtesy of Loki hiding them literally _everywhere_ in his suite. Your mouth opened as you drew in air to scream. Two years of torture had made you jumpy.

    Loki’s cold hand clapped over your mouth, gentle, but insistent that you not scream. “Easy darling,” he told you with a chuckle. He was sitting up now too, his arm wrapped around you, while his hand was over your mouth, the blanket pooling in his lap. “It’s just the maids,” he explained softly. You nodded and he removed his hand from your mouth. “Sorry,” he told you, then gave you a kiss to reinforce that he really was sorry. He hated restraining you, but couldn’t let you kill the maids either.

    The maids did their jobs, drawing water for a bath, setting out clothes for you, straightening Loki’s room. They also told him that Frigga wished to have breakfast with the two of you in her chambers. He inclined his head and dismissed them while you tried in vain to hide. There was nowhere to hide from the maids. Loki chuckled at you and kissed your head. “You’ll get used to being royalty eventually,” he told you kindly.

    You bathed and dressed quickly and Loki led you to Frigga’s chambers. You kept your hand firmly on his arm, nervous in the palace. You just wanted to go home. Loki knocked politely and Frigga answered a moment later. “Good morning, darling!” she greeted him brightly. He bent to kiss her cheek.

    “Good morning, Mother,” he replied warmly. You stepped back from their adorableness, feeling even more out of place. You realized as Loki stepped automatically into Frigga’s suite, following her when she had entered, that this was his _home_. Could you really drag him away from his home?

    You followed before you lost the courage to intrude on their relationship. Loki’s arm was around you before you could feel too lonely and he pulled a chair out at the little table in Frigga’s sitting room. They chatted through breakfast, catching up on events since Loki went to Midgard. Loki tried to include you, but it was hard when Frigga didn’t sign.

    You finally got to escape that torment only to get dragged away by Thor and his friends. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three wanted to meet the woman who had ‘tamed’ Loki. So you smiled and were polite and signed with Thor and Loki and they dutifully translated. The warriors told tales of Thor and Loki’s childhood and tried to make you feel included. They seemed shocked at Loki’s change in behavior around you. He was openly affectionate, much less shy than the reserved bookworm they were used to. He was still a bookworm of course, but they weren’t used to the open emotions from him. You kissed his cheek and he gave you a warm smile.

    You were much happier when Loki escaped with you and gave you a proper tour of the palace and gardens. It was much more sedate and you found a couple of quiet alcoves for kisses. You spent a very pleasant afternoon with him in the library, curled up with him and enjoying the quiet and peace.

    You had a couple of weeks of peace, more tours, which Loki whispered were really designed to give you touchstones of Asgard, to help you both make escape plans. You acted the innocent besotted newlyweds. You really were besotted newlyweds, but you were hardly innocent. You were plotting and planning and Loki was showing you as much as he could, giving you as much help while you worked together to figure out how to escape.

    You trusted him with the first task of the escape plan. You needed your backpack of supplies back.

    His chance to steal it came when Odin called you for a prophecy. You had dreaded this moment, but knew it was coming. You made the cut yourself and spoke the answer to whatever it was that Odin asked. You didn’t care what he wanted to know, unless it was about you or Loki, but it wasn’t, so you tuned him out. You tried to find out how to get out of here.

    All the visions told you was that Plan Z was the only way to stay safe when you had escaped. That wasn’t helpful. You knew that already.


	38. Chapter 38

    [You didn’t open it, did you?] you asked Loki quite a few times when you were both safely back in his suite. He’d shown you that he had successfully stolen the backpack back from Odin and handed it to you.

    “No, darling,” he told you just as patiently the last time as the first. “You told me not to.” You had told him quite firmly that he couldn’t know the contents of the bag or it would ruin all the plans to escape. That part wasn’t _technically_ true. Really, he couldn’t know what was in the bag lest it interfere with Plan Z. Plan Z was vital to making sure you _stayed_ free once you escaped.

    You searched the bag and made sure everything was still there. It was, so you zipped it again and handed it back to Loki with a nod. [Don’t look. Please. Promise me] you bid him. He was _not_ going to agree with Plan Z, so he couldn’t know what it was ahead of time. He would stop you and that would get you both killed or worse.

    “I won’t. I swear, love. I won’t risk your freedom due to simple curiosity,” he insisted and kissed your forehead while he vanished the bag. He would summon it for you again when you asked for it.

    *

    You weren’t being watched so heavily by a week later. They had stopped expecting you to try to escape. You still acted the besotted newlyweds and you acted happy with your new life.

    Only Loki and Thor saw your tears. You were wilting and lonely with only the two of them to really interact with. You missed your friends back home. You missed Sammi and you missed acutally communicating with people. Frigga tried. She really did. She wanted Loki happy. Sif and the Warriors were nice enough, but it just wasn’t the same. They didn’t, couldn’t include you.

    Loki swore his shields were enough to keep Heimdall from seeing, and no questions would be asked as long as he was careful not to use them too often. He insisted that Heimdall would just assume you were having sex and didn’t want to be spied on. Unless he used them all the time. That was perfect and added another piece to your plans. He saw the piece slip into place and gave you a small nod. He was up to helping however he could.

    “Are you sure you want to go through with this?” you asked Loki in whispers one night. “You may never be able to come home after this.” You saw the look of sorrow in his eyes, not from potentially never seeing Asgard again, but Frigga. He always had that soft expression when thinking of Frigga.

    “I can’t let Odin keep using you,” he told you softly, brushing a finger over the latest cut on your skin. You nodded and sat on the bed to reevaluate your plans. You grinned at him when you’d come up with an idea. “Nonono, I know that look, what are you planning, darling?” he asked quickly, concerned. He knew the too-daring mischievous look all too well.

    [I want us both free. You’re not going to be happy if you can never see Frigga again. My plan will place all of the fault on our escape on me. Trust me, darling]

    He sighed. “You’re not putting yourself in undo danger, are you?” he asked firmly before he’d relent. You shook your head.

    [No danger] you then explained your plan to him in whispers.

    *

    “Shield us, Loki. I don’t want Hiemdall watching us have sex,” you announced loudly. Thor looked over at you and glared. You were out in the market and being loud about your sex life. Plus you were giving orders, which he knew damn well meant that... he looked over at Loki and saw the glazed look in his eyes. Loki waved a hand over you to create his shielding. You kissed his cheek. “Now teleport us back to our room,” you ordered.

    Thor glared and tried to stop you. He couldn’t let you order his brother around like this. You saw his hatred then, saw the doubts as he questioned if your entire relationship was built on persuasions and lies. He loathed you in that moment for what you were doing to Loki, for the mind control, the persuasions, the orders, the blatant abuse of his abilities.

    You hoped he would forgive you one day.

    Loki wrapped an arm around you, kissed the top of your head and teleported you. Not to his suite, but to right outside the Bifrost, shielded so well that no one could see you. He handed you your backpack when you reappeared. This had all been part of the plan. Now came the next part. You dug through the bag and started pulling out the items from the bottom. They were things you’d stolen from Stark’s lab.

    Now was the time to trick the Trickster.

    You hoped he would forgive you too.

    You made a gesture for Loki to turn around. He did, trusting your plan. What you’d told him of it anyway. You said a silent apology as you clamped the manacles around his wrists behind his back. He didn’t know you had stolen them from Stark. He didn’t know they were the real thing and he hadn’t known you were _really_ binding his powers. You placed the duct tape over his mouth before he figured it out and started causing a scene. He was expecting you to drag him past Heimdall bound and gagged so Heimdall would tell Odin that Loki didn’t help you escape willingly. He wasn’t expecting it to be real.

    You really hoped he would forgive you for this.

    You grabbed his arm and saw his eyes widen in shock, anger, and hurt when he felt his shields fail and knew that he couldn’t get them back into place. “I’m sorry, love,” you whispered. He struggled as you dragged him into the Bifrost room. He knew he’d been tricked and was no longer sure what you were doing, no longer sure of the plan. “Stop it, this is part of the plan,” you hissed the words, not using persuasion. He glared at you and gave you a look. He knew this was _not_ part of the plan he’d been told. “It’s the only way,” you insisted. He stopped struggling as hard and let you drag him into the Bifrost room.

    Heimdall turned and stared at you. “What-?”

    “Don’t call for help,” you threw the persuasion at Heimdall and saw his eyes glaze. You had expected him to be better prepared after last time, but he had no protections from your abilities, which were stronger now that you were Asgardian. It took less effort to make him follow your orders. “Tell Odin that this was my doing. You see that Loki is not helping me,” you told him firmly. “Now open the Bifrost to this exact location,” you rattled off the location and an instant later the Bifrost was open. You dragged Loki through and held on tightly to him.

    You landed on the SHIELD helicarrier, hard, since the Bifrost had to stop a few feet above the ship to not destroy it. You cradled Loki as you fell, shielding him with your body since he couldn’t very well do it himself. You helped him back to his feet as the Bifrost vanished. He glared and growled and made complaints that you were pretty sure were demands to be freed.

    “Are you sure about this?” Fury demanded as he rushed out to meet you. He wisely didn’t comment on Loki’s state.

    [There will be a war with Asgard otherwise] you signed quickly.

    He nodded and gestured you inside. You kept a hand firmly on Loki’s arm and dragged him with you. “He’s going to be trouble, isn’t he?” Fury demanded, glaring at you. You nodded a bit sheepishly. You had told Fury to expect Plan Z. You hadn’t told him to expect to have to babysit a bound, gagged, and raging Loki.

    [His powers are bound. He doesn’t know what Plan Z is. Don’t tell him] you told Fury firmly while Loki growled.

    “You’re absolutely sure? There’s no going back once this is done,” Fury reminded you again as he led you through the helicarrier. You nodded again. There was a reason this was the last resort plan. Fury led you to a small room with little more than a bed and a chair. “We’ll bring you here after. It’ll be safe for Loki to wait for you here. Unless I need to put him in one of the containment cells?” you shook your head. “Get him settled since you’re the only one he won’t kill even without his powers. I’ll wait for you in the hall,” Fury told you and left the small room. You sat Loki in the chair while he glared at you.

    “I’m sorry, love. I’m so, so sorry,” you told him in a whisper with tears in your eyes, kneeling in front of his chair, looking pleadingly up into his eyes, while he glared in hurt and rage that you would do this to him. He had trusted you and you had tricked him. He was not going to forgive you for that easily. Thor wasn’t going to forgive you for using Loki either. This was going to be a _long_ eternity...

    “This is the only way. I swear. It’s the only way. It’s the only way to keep Odin from enslaving us again. Odin won’t come after us after this. But you would _never_ have let me go through with this if you knew what I’m doing. This is my choice, Loki, my decision. I swear that I never wanted to hurt you. I hope someday you’ll forgive me for hurting you. I love you, and I will do _anything_ to keep you safe, including this, and including bearing your rage for the rest of our days if that’s what it takes,” you told him, somehow keeping your voice to the whispers that wouldn’t hurt him. You rubbed the tears roughly from your eyes. You had to move fast before Odin sent Thor or others after you.

    You stood again and kissed Loki’s forehead, ignoring his glare and growls. You tucked his hair back behind his ears, out of his face.

    “I love you,” you told him your forehead pressed to his. “More than anything in all nine realms, I love you,” you told him for the last time.


	39. Chapter 39

    Your words, your tone must have registered. You saw Loki whip his head up to look at you and finally recognized the tears in your eyes. You gave him a small smile as you took one step back, then another.

    [Forgive me] you signed, knowing that he wouldn’t for a long time, if ever.

    You heard his muffled yells behind the duct tape. Duct tape was not the most effective gag ever, but it was all you could steal quickly, so it had to do in a pinch. The tears spilled from your eyes before you made it to the door.

    “I love you,” you whispered again. Really for the last time this time. You couldn’t help it. It was the last opportunity after all.

    You slipped out of the room before his heartbreak could stop you, before you could go to him and spill your soul and let him stop you. He would definitely try to stop you. You closed the door behind you and smirked at the little sign on the door:

    Angry Loki inside. Do not enter.

    You wiped the tears from your eyes roughly. Fury was waiting for you and wisely didn’t comment besides an “Are you sure?” You nodded firmly. You walked with him to the medical bay just down the hall.

    You tapped Fury’s arm to get his attention. [Tell him? After it’s done?]

    He glared at you, but softened when he remembered all of the many reasons you were doing this, including preventing a war between Earth and Asgard. “I’ll see what I can do, but you may have to do it yourself. Boyfriend isn’t exactly the most pleasant when you have him this riled.” You pointed to your wedding ring.

    [Husband] you corrected firmly, though the tears were back in your eyes. Would Loki actually want to stay with you after this? Much less be your husband? He hadn’t really agreed to it in the first place after all. Was divorce even a thing on Asgard or was he just going to kill you and be done with it?

    “You’re going to have to tell me what the hell happened on Asgard after we finish saving the world,” Fury told you firmly.

    [I’m Asgardian now] you warned him. He cursed at that sudden revelation.

    You nodded and stepped into the med room with him. There was an entire crew of surgeons and nurses waiting for you, all scrubbed in and ready for this. “Time for Plan Z everyone, you’ve prepared for this. It’s changed slightly. Y/N is Asgardian now. Don’t ask, we don’t have time for it. Drug her like you would Thor and she’ll heal just as fast. She doesn’t need or want to know what the procedure entails, which is better for _all_ of our safety. Whatever you do, don’t fuck it up. She’s a member of the Avengers Initiative and potentially more importantly Loki’s wife.” There were gasps at that. Everyone knew you were dating Loki and what he’d done to get you back from Hydra, but no one besides Fury had known you were married. And he only knew as of about thirty seconds ago. “You know damn well that he will kill every single person on this boat if this procedure does not go as planned. This is the most VIP patient you will _ever_ have. Loki is also on board and.... antsy as hell,” Fury warned them all, though that was the understatement of the century. He may have also been overstating how much Loki cared about you right this moment. “So do this quickly and don’t fuck it up,”

    “No pressure,” one of the nurses muttered. No one even looked at her. That was safer since Fury looked about ready to kill her.

    Fury gave you one final look. “You’re absolutely sure this is the only way?” he asked. You nodded. “Then go before that husband of yours gets even more antsy.” You nodded again and let the nurses lead you behind a screen to change into hospital clothes, which was thankfully something resembling scrubs instead of one of those godawful backless gowns.

    You were settled on the table, there was one final confirmation, the anesthesia mask was placed over your nose and mouth to knock you out quickly, then the procedure began.

    *

    You don’t know how long you were out, and you felt like shit when Fury was desperately shaking you awake. “C’mon kid, knock that anesthesia off quickly. Loki and the team are all in a right state. I can’t keep the Avengers from finding you much longer.” You blinked stupidly and managed to sit up.

    [It’s done?] you asked, your hands numbly slow.

    “Yes, it’s done. Are you awake? I know it’s bad to rush coming out of that medical crap, but we need you up. Now.” You nodded and reached up to your throat. It hurt like hell. Which was to be expected. “We couldn’t get to Loki to tell him what you did, so you’re going to have to do it yourself. Can you stand?” Fury asked, looking actually concerned, not for you, but for whatever Loki would do to all of the agents and his ship if he wasn’t calmed soon. He didn’t trust Stark’s restraints to hold Loki forever. You nodded and swung your legs over the side of the bed. Fury helped you get to your feet and made sure you stayed there. You shook the last of the sleep and weakness from your brain. You were going to need your wits and every ounce of luck you had to deal with Loki if he had Fury this unnerved. “Thank God you’re Asgardian now or you’d never be up and mobile this fast.” You still weren’t sure you were up and mobile. You were pretty out of it and fighting to stay on this side of conscious. It was too soon for you to be moved and it hurt like hell, but there was a job to do.

    Fury led you back to the room where Loki was waiting as fast as possible. You could feel Loki’s rage from out here. You touched Fury’s shoulder reassuringly. He didn’t have to come in with you. He looked relieved that he didn’t have to try to help with this. Dealing with an angry Loki was well above his paygrade, especially when you were around. You stepped inside to face Loki’s wrath alone. He was still bound and gagged. Fury was right, no one had been able to get near him, or they hadn’t braved it. Cowards.

    You rushed over to him to free him, disregarding his rage. You expected it and knew it was mostly aimed at you. And still you moved without fear, trusting that even in his rage, he wouldn’t kill you without at least an explanation, not with all you had been through together. You moved too fast in your rush to free him and the world was turning black. You weren’t as awake or free of the meds as you had pretended for Fury. You worked quickly to undo the bonds on Loki’s wrists.

    He used magic to remove the duct tape, which was way faster and easier than ripping it off manually. He was on his feet, glaring down at where you were still kneeling next to the chair he’d been sitting in. You’d had to kneel to reach the manacles. Now you weren’t sure you could get back up. You had to try, you couldn’t face him on your knees. Especially not in your current state. “What did you do?!” Loki raged. “You tricked me and lied to me. Tell me. What. Did. You. Do?” he roared. You struggled to your feet to face him, using the chair to leverage yourself to your feet.

    And promptly fell into a dead faint.

    That was not how this conversation was supposed to go.

    *

    When you came to again, you found that you were tucked safely in the bed in the same small room. Loki was sitting on the edge of it. The chair was no more than a twisted pile of metal. Loki looked over at you when you sat up. He was still angry, beyond angry, but an ever so slight amount of his rage seemed to have dissipated.

    “That was one way to postpone getting yelled at,” he told you dryly. “Kindly don’t do it again,” his words were dry, but his tone gave you a glimmer of hope. Just a glimmer. He wasn’t raging. That was a good sign. But only slightly. It was going to take a lot to win his trust back. If you even could.

    [I’m sorry] you signed sheepishly. You hadn’t meant to pass out. [Fury moved me too soon so I could get back to you]. He nodded, accepting that piece, however grudgingly.

    “You owe me an explanation, Lady,” Loki told you, his voice icy and too formal. At least he wasn’t yelling. Or breaking things. Or killing you. Yet.

    You nodded. [I’m sorry I lied. I’m sorry for the trick] you told him quickly. He gave you a look.

    “I don’t want apologies. I want an explanation,” he growled. You didn’t want to tell him, didn’t want him even more pissed at you, but there was no choice. You signed slowly, making sure that he could keep up with your words. It was important and your computer wasn’t here to make sure your words were clear. You couldn’t ask Loki to summon it either he was too angry to appease you, so you had to rely on signing.

    [It was the only way. Odin won’t follow us, because we no longer have what he wants] Loki raised an eyebrow and looked ready to question you, but you pressed on. [Fury had a back-up plan, Plan Z, a last resort in case my powers were truly out of control. He never intended to use it, trusting that the Avengers would help me learn to use them properly. I made him use it. I’m sorry I had to trick you, but you would _never_ go along with it if you knew what I was doing...]

    “Lady,” he growled. “What. Did. You. Do?” he demanded again.

    You sighed, looked down at your lap, then bravely up at the hurt and pain in his eyes. You had to tell him. You had to tell him what you did. Slowly, carefully and as clearly as you could, you signed out what you had been dreading telling him.

    [I gave up my powers. I gave up my voice. Forever]


	40. Chapter 40

    “YOU DID WHAT?” Loki roared, jumping to his feet to tower over you. Your body automatically flinched away from his anger, his roar, his rage. Two years of torture hadn’t been erased with a month of freedom, especially not when followed by all of the drama with Odin. You also realized in that instant that your instincts realized what your brain hadn’t comprehended yet, what you hadn’t appreciated: the power balance between you and Loki had evaporated. Even though you would have never used your powers on him maliciously, the ability had still been there, there had still been that safety net. You didn’t have that now and you couldn’t match him in physical strength. You had only been Asgardian for a couple weeks and had no formal combat training, just a few basics. Your training had always revolved around your abilities. Without them you were just... a little girl... faced against an enraged fully trained warrior.

    You saw Loki’s eyes widen slightly when he realized that he had legitimately frightened you. Your body had expected pain to come with that much rage. It had been an automatic response, but you still saw the hurt at that knowledge and his rage softened marginally.

    You steeled your spine. This was Loki. Despite that he was pissed, he still loved you. You had to believe it. Had to believe that though he was pissed, he wouldn’t actually hurt you. [I. Gave. Up. My. Powers] you signed slowly as if he just hadn’t understood you.

    He glared, but saw that you we rerailing the conversation back to being an equal conversation and not just him raging and yelling. He sat back on the bed at your feet, trying to calm enough to have the conversation, to get the explanation, you pulled your feet to you, sitting cross-legged to face him properly. “Why? Why would you do that?” he asked, hurt and pain mixing in with his rage.

    [It was the only way I would _never_ be used again. No one can use me for prophecies if I can’t _have_ prophecies. No one can force me to use my powers to keep you safe if I don’t have them. No one can enslave either of us again. Including Odin.] you signed firmly, your hands moving in too snapish of movements in your agitation and your own feelings. He was still raging, still angry, still hurt.

    You looked down with tears in your eyes, afraid he would never forgive you. “We could have found another way!” he protested. “You didn’t have to lie to me. You didn’t have to betray me. You didn’t have to give up your powers!” he snarled, swinging back to anger.

    [I’m sorry I lied. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you. You would have stopped me and there was _no_ other way] you told him firmly. He glared and you pointed, drawing your finger down the long scar on the outside of your left arm, the one you made before you went to rescue him. He looked momentarily ashamed at that reminder that you had made that cut to find out how to save him.

    He didn’t say anything, looking for another angle to yell at you from, searching for words. He was so angry, so hurt, so betrayed by what you had done. Tears spilling from your eyes, you carefully slid the ring off your finger and set it gently on the bed between you. He just stared at it, then you shocked, even more hurt, even more enraged, until he saw your tears.

    [I] you hesitated [I understand... if...] why was saying this so hard? [I understand if you don’t want me anymore after what I did to you, after what I gave up... I’m just...glad you’re safe now] you finished quickly. You stared at your lap, unable to look at him, unable to risk seeing that he really was going to leave you for what you’d done, or because he couldn’t stand you without your powers.

    He picked up the ring carefully. You couldn’t help looking up at that. You didn’t want to watch him leave you, but the morbid part of you had to know, had to watch the train wreck, had to see what he would do. You were terrified he was going to leave you, going to give up on you, that this trick, your lack of powers, had all been one awful last straw.

    He surprised you by grabbing your left wrist. You tugged on it automatically, your hand balling into a fist as you did, but his vice-like grip just tightened even more. He silently flattened your hand back out from its fist and he slid your ring back on your finger firmly. “If you try to take that off again, I am going to magic it to your finger,” he told you firmly, but...kindly? Not angrily at least. He seemed to finally be coming down from his rage some, now that he understood what you had done and why. “I married you of my own free will, promised to love you and cherish you for all of our days. Just because I’m hurt and angry by your methods and what you gave up to save us, doesn’t mean I love you any less,” he told you and lifted your hand to his lips to kiss the back of it.

    You weren’t forgiven. But there was hope.

    You both jumped when the lightning flashed across the sky, when the thunder boomed out of nowhere. “Shit,” he cursed and you would have, but a hiss had to suffice. “Maybe he won’t find us,” Loki suggested, though you both knew that was impossible. If he had gotten this far, then it was only a matter of time before he was down here. “You’re sure giving up your powers was the only way? Your voice?” he asked mournfully.

    [I’m sorry to have lost my voice, but I never cared about my powers. Besides letting me meet you, they have caused me nothing but pain] you reminded him. He looked shocked, hurt that he hadn’t made that realization on his own. You hated your abilities most of the time. Singing lullabies for the Hulk wasn’t bad, but your normal speaking voice injuring your friends was terrible, being able to persuade people unless you actively worked _not_ to was awful, the prophecies were beyond awful and had caused you two years of pain. [I’m more sorry that I had to trick you than anything...]

    He sighed heavily. “I know, darling. I’m not pleased, but you’re right. I wouldn’t have listened to you, not with the speed we needed...” he finally admitted, finally saw reason when he got past his hurt feelings to realize what you had done and why.

    The door burst open and Thor thundered into the room. You jumped to your feet, moving to place yourself between him and Loki, spreading your arms to protect Loki from Thor’s rage. “You betrayed and used him!” Thor boomed at you, lightning sparking around and through him. You had forgotten about the lightning. He had been so very careful around you, but he was pissed at your apparent treatment of his brother. He thought you had used Loki, had used your powers on him. You hadn’t, it was part of the act, part of the trick to get you out of Asgard, but in the tricking, you had tricked Thor too.

    You had forgotten about the lightning, but your body hadn’t.

    Your body hadn’t forgotten the years of shocks and pain.

    You couldn’t pull your eyes away as your hands automatically went to your throat. You would have screamed if you could, but that had been taken from you as well in your sacrifice to escape Odin. You crumpled in fear and remembered pain, your resolve to save Loki from Thor’s anger gone along with your rational thought.

    “Thor! NO! You blundering moronic oaf!” Loki yelled. His arms were around your waist and he hauled you away from Thor, turning you both so his back was to Thor and you were shielded by his body. He held you tightly to him while you shook, sobbed, and shrieked soundlessly. “Shh, love, shh, it’s ok, everything’s all right. Thor’s an idiot and forgot that you were tortured with electricity for two years. But the idiot is Turning. The. Lightning. Off. Now.” Loki glared over his shoulder at Thor and casually threw a dagger in Thor’s direction. “He’s not going to hurt you. It’s just Thor. You’re safe, darling. You’re safe,” Loki told you gently, softly, soothingly. Your sobs eased when your mind decided it could brain again and realized there was no pain. “There now, it’s ok,” Loki’s voice was soothingly warm, gentle, caring. Your Loki again, not the rage filled stranger he’d been.

    He settled you carefully back in the bed, not bothering to look at Thor, who had indeed turned the lightning off. He summoned Lokibear to press into your arms before you pulled your knees to your chest. He kissed your forehead. “While I admire and appreciate that you wish to defend me, even your miraculous bravery cannot withstand my idiot brother when he is actually angry. You stay here. Thor and I will talk right outside,” you reached out and grabbed his arm. He smiled warmly. “It’ll be ok. I’ll explain things to the oaf,” you gave him a look and squeezed his arm tighter. “We’re just going to talk, love,” he sighed when you didn’t let him go. “Fine, we’ll talk right over there by the door, but if he starts sparking again and being stupid, we’re going outside. All right?” he asked. You nodded once and let go of his arm. He smiled warmly at you and kissed the top of your head. “Sometimes you are too brave for your own good, my darling. Facing down two angry gods in one day is never a good idea,” he chuckled.

    [You forgive me?] you signed around Lokibear, not believing he was forgiving you already. He took your hand to kiss your wedding ring again, a reminder that you were in this together.

    “Yes, love. Just kindly don’t do it again. I promise I’ll listen to you. There is no need to trick me or lie,” You nodded and held your stupid security teddy bear while Loki got up off of the bed to go talk to Thor.

    “Brother, she used you,” Thor said softly, glaring over at you. “She used her abilities against you. Surely, you can’t forgive-”

    Loki rolled his eyes. “It was an act, part of the plan for us to escape from the Allfather’s enslavement. Y/N would never use her powers against me, and did not during our escape. So you don’t need to protect me from her.”

    “You planned-?”

    “A dramatic escape where it _looked_ like she was entirely behind it. She wanted to protect me so I would be able to visit home again and see Mother. My lady is quite overprotective,” Loki explained and gave you a warm smile. Much as he disliked your methods, he was pleased with how much you cared about him.

    “Father wants you two returned to Asgard immediately,”

    “No,” Loki said calmly. “You can return and tell the Allfather that we no longer have anything he wants. My lady and I will be willing to visit when things calm down again, but we are not returning to enslavement on Asgard,”

    “What do you mean, Brother? You know perfectly well that he wants Y/N’s use of her powers for the throne,” Thor replied, anger rising in his voice again. “That was the bargain. She got to live and you got out of the dungeons, but she has to work for Father, use her powers for him,”

    “My lady has no powers,” Loki replied, a little sadly, but you saw the glint of mischief in his eyes too. He thoroughly enjoyed tormenting Thor.

    Thor just looked over at you, shocked, confused. You nodded and sat cross-legged on the bed, settling Lokibear in your lap. [I gave up my powers and my voice so Odin can’t enslave either of us again] you explained quickly.

    “That was your plan all along...” Thor finally said, the pieces fitting into place. “You gave up your powers to save Loki...” you nodded and didn’t bother clarifying that you were saving yourself too. Thor bowed then to you. “My apologies, lady. I misunderstood the situation. I should have known that you would not betray my brother.” You gave him a small smile and carefully climbed out of the bed. When he didn’t start sparking again, you gave him a small tentative hug. Loki was hovering worriedly, not trusting that his brother wouldn’t start up with the electricity and scare you again. You let go of Thor quickly, still more shaken that you wanted to admit and wrapped your arms around Loki instead. He kissed the top of your head automatically.

    Thor sighed heavily. “Let’s get back to the tower. We can come up with a plan with the team. Unless you have one already?” Thor asked you. You shook your head. Getting to Plan Z was the last of the future you had seen.

    Your boys still weren’t happy, but at least they seemed to have mostly forgiven you.


	41. Chapter 41

    You were standing between Thor and Loki down the hall of the helicarrier while they argued over how you were getting back to the tower. You still held Lokibear to your chest, watching the brothers argue. Thor didn’t want to believe that you and Loki would actually teleport there and he refused to teleport too.

    “If you three think you are sneaking off my boat before you tell me what the fuck is going on, you are sorely mistaken,” Fury’s voice came from down the hall. Both of the boys moved at the same time to stand in front of you, to defend you against the threat. Loki’s armor shimmered back into place at the same moment.

    “Fury, this is an Asgardian matter. Let us deal with it,” Thor told him, taking another step forward to be the first to defend Loki and you. Loki moved his arm, pushing you further behind him.

    “Your brother and his wife brought Asgardian troubles onto my boat. I need to know why,” Fury replied. You peeked around Loki to see what was happening. “All she told me was that we needed to perform the procedure to stop a war with Asgard. How serious was her threat?”

    Thor sighed. “Dear little sister, how have you managed to upset everyone you know in your plot to escape Father?” Thor asked you, turning to look at you. You flushed and hid behind Loki again, wrapping your fingers in Loki’s cape.

    “It’s alright, darling,” Loki told you gently. “Thor’s joking. He knows what the stakes were for our escape. Brother, let us get this conference with the Director over quickly. My lady need proper rest after whatever they did to remove her powers.” Loki knew you were more distraught than you normally would be. You’d been strong for so long, so scared of getting caught, of losing Loki, or dying, or being electrocuted. You just wanted to rest.

    “Very well. Fury?” Thor asked, gesturing for Fury to lead you all to wherever he wanted to have this conference. Fury glared, he didn’t trust any of the three of you.

    “What’s to say they won’t disappear?” Fury demanded, glaring at you and Loki.

    “You have my word. Now let us get on with this. There is much to do before Odin sends someone else to find Lady Y/N,” Thor said sourly.

    “This way,” Fury finally said. You let go of Loki’s cape and wrapped your arms around one of his. You were exhausted after the excitement and procedure.

    “Love, let me help you,” Loki bid you when you stumbled into him. You nodded and he swept you effortlessly up into his arms. You leaned up to kiss his cheek. “You’re welcome and I love you too,” you wrapped an arm around his neck, the other cradling your stupid security teddy bear, and smiled as you laid your head on his shoulder. Fury led you to an office near the bridge. There were only two chairs in front of the desk. Loki sat in one and settled you safely in his lap. Thor took the other without a word. Fury sat behind the desk.

    “Explain,” the order was one word from Fury. You curled yourself more comfortably in Loki’s arms. “Drop the cute innocent act, Siren. I know you’re as much to blame for all this crap as anyone,”

    You shrugged. [You’re not wrong. But I just had surgery. With no recovery time. Let the boys tell you what’s going on] you were getting grumpy with exhaustion. Loki kissed your forehead.

    “Rest, darling. Thor and I can handle talking to the boring mortal,” Loki told you softly. You nodded and closed your eyes, settling more comfortably in the safety of Loki’s arms.

    “Isn’t a lot of this story yours?” Fury demanded.

    [I don’t need to look at you to talk]

    And so you and the boys told Fury everything from the moment Loki and Thor returned to Asgard. It took awhile and the boys did most of the talking. Loki knew the whole story from you anyway, so you could doze in his arms, confirm a few details, and Fury got the story.

    “You’re sure Odin won’t send the army to get you back?” Fury demanded.

    [I’m sure] you replied.

    “How can you be sure?”

    You sat up in Loki’s lap and gestured to the long scar running down the outside of your left arm, the cut you had made to find out how to save Loki. [I saw] you signed grumpily at Fury. [And my visions were _never_ wrong]

    “Brother, take your lady home. I will be there shortly,” Thor told Loki firmly. Loki nodded and stood with you still in his arms.

    An instant later you were in the living room of the tower. The entire team was there in uniform waiting for you. Loki set you on your feet and moved to step in front of you, worried that the entire team was in uniform. “Easy, Loki,” Cap’s voice was soothing. “Just us. We figured there was trouble when Y/N’s bear disappeared,”

    You peeked out from behind Loki and held up the bear. Nat smiled. “After you disappeared on us, we moved the bear down here. We figured if things got really bad, or something happened to you, the bear would disappear.” You gave her a small smile.

    “Do we need to be prepared for an attack?” Cap asked.

    You shook your head and took Loki’s hand to drag him over to your couch. You pushed him, gently, onto his spot. He huffed and rolled his eyes. “So demanding,” he teased. You stuck your tongue out at him and curled up next to him on the couch.

    “So... you two going to tell us what’s going on?” Stark asked as he stepped out of his Iron Man suit. You sighed and gestured to the rest of the furniture in the living room. It was a long story. “Start talking, kid. We’ve all been worried since you disappeared,” Stark said once everyone was seated.

    So you told the story. Again. You were tired of telling it, but not as tired as you’d been from living it.

    “You gave up your powers?” Cap asked when you had finished. You nodded, and finally realized that without your powers, you weren’t an Avenger. They could kick you out of the tower, could kick you from your home.

    “You married Reindeer Games?” Stark demanded. You held up your hand with your wedding ring on it.

    “You’re Asgardian?” Bruce asked.

    You tapped Loki’s arm and he tagged in to answer questions. “Don’t fret, darling. They won’t kick you from the tower. They wouldn’t anyway, but you’re my wife. As long as I live here, I will not allow them to remove you from your home,” he told you after he’d answered all of the team’s questions. The team was quick to reassure you that you’d always have a home here, powers or no, super scary god of a husband or no. “See, love? They won’t abandon you. Now come on. You haven’t gotten any proper rest since before we left Asgard.” You nodded, stood, and waved to the others, hiding a yawn behind Lokibear. Loki wrapped an arm around your shoulders and an instant later you were in his room of the tower. You looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. “I want you safe,” he told you simply.

    You nodded and slipped out from under his arm. You set Lokibear carefully on the bed and dug through his dresser to find something better to wear than hospital clothes. You found a pair of his pajamas and dressed quickly. Loki had a smirk on his face when you turned back to him. He had used magic to change into pajamas as well. You stuck your tongue out at him He smiled and took the couple of strides to reach you then kissed you. Deeply.

    “I was so worried about you, my darling,”

    [You were angry] you corrected

    He inclined his head. “Angry as well. Though you did lie to me and trick me,” he reminded you gently. You smirked and gave him an overly dramatic elegant bow. He laughed. “Yes, yes, very droll indeed to lie to the god of lies. Don’t do it again, please.” You smiled, took his left hand and lifted it to kiss his wedding ring. It was a gesture he did to you all the time. He laughed and kissed your forehead.

    “I was also very worried about you when you went off plan, when you went with Fury without telling me why.” You wrapped your arms around him and laid your head on his chest. He relaxed and kissed the top of your head. He then bent and grabbed your legs. Before you could protest, he had stood again, folding you over his shoulder. You smacked his back, unable to shriek or verbally protest.

    “Bed, my darling wife. You need to rest,” you couldn’t help grinning like an idiot when he called you his wife. It warmed your heart. He set you gently on the bed. “One thing first,” you raised an eyebrow as he sat on the bed in front of you, sitting cross-legged. “You know I have telepathic abilities, right?” he asked. You nodded. He’d used them for you before. He offered you his hands palm up. You placed your hands on his, he gently flipped your hands so they were palm up as well. “Close your eyes,” you did without question, trusting your silly trickster, whatever he was up to. “Imagine something for me. It doesn’t matter what. Your battered copy of a favorite book, a stuffed animal from your childhood, anything, as long as it means something to you,” he instructed. You thought about something, anything that would fit his specifications, wondering briefly what he was up to. He wanted an old memory, though, so you imagined the old stuffed bear who was still sitting on your bed in your mom’s house. You’d had him since you were born and he’d had all stuffing worn out, more surgeries than you could count, and was as real as the velveteen rabbit.

    “Can you see it? Feel it?” Loki asked, his voice softer to not distract you. You nodded. “Good, now imagine it’s here, surely you want me to see the item that’s precious enough to you to draw that beautiful fond expression. So show it to me darling,” he bid you warmly. So you imagined Worthington, his soft warm fur, the bald spot behind his ear, the new nose you had sewn on yourself. You gasped and your eyes shot open. Worthington was laying on top of your palms. “Very well done, my love,” Loki beamed at you. You lifted the bear to look at him properly. It was your Worthington, every detail. You looked at Loki confused, and suddenly much, much more exhausted than you had been. Loki gave you a warm smile. “I thought you might have the Seidr, Asgardian magic, now that you are Asgardian,” he told you gently. “Yes, darling, you summoned him all on your own. Very, very well done for your first attempt,” he told you brightly.

    You swayed and Loki gently helped you lay back on the bed. “Don’t fear. Magic drains energy. You’ll get more stamina for it as you practice,” he told you warmly and pulled the blankets up over you. “Rest, darling,” he kissed your forehead as your eyes fluttered, trying to shut.

    You absently tried to whisper that you loved him. No sound would come. You saw the hint of sorrow in his eyes, but it was masked quickly by pride of your use of magic and his love. “I love you too, my darling wife,” was all he said instead.


	42. Chapter 42

    It was morning before you finally woke again. And you felt like death. Yesterday had been too exciting and your throat _ached_ from whatever they had done to remove your powers. You automatically groaned at how much it _hurt_ , but only succeeded in silently irritating your sore throat. You hadn’t appreciated just how thorough Fury would be in removing your ability to make _any_ noise. No groaning, whining, whimpering. Could you even laugh? You weren’t brave enough to find out yet.

    Loki was still asleep and since he was actually asleep for once, you didn’t wake him. You got out of bed, stole a clean pair of pajamas, and showered in Loki’s bathroom. He would worry if you returned to your own, if you left the suite without waking him. He wouldn’t worry if you weren’t in the bed and he could hear the shower. You’d learned to work with his overprotective instincts and you knew that now that your powers were gone, his overprotective streak was just going to get worse.

    But you desperately needed a shower. You were gross and still felt like hospital, which clung to your skin like a miasma. “Darling?” Loki asked an inordinate amount of hot water later. You stuck your head out of the shower to look at him in answer. “Are you alright? You’ve been in there quite awhile,” you nodded and ducked back into the shower to shut off the hot water. When you stepped out of the shower, Loki was there with a towel for you. You smiled and kissed him. “How are you feeling?” he asked after you were dressed again.

    [Like hell] you admitted. Your hot shower had helped for a little bit, but you saw yourself in the mirror. You looked as bad as you felt. Loki frowned and reached up to touch your throat with a glowing green hand, intuitively knowing why you felt like hell. You tilted your head back to let him. His frown deepened.

    “Do you even know what they did to you in that...procedures?” Loki asked, clearly unhappy. You shook your head. You didn’t know, had made sure not to know. It was safer not to, less chance of Odin figuring out a way to undo it. “It’s a mix of magic and surgery...” he finally told you. You pressed a finger against his lips to silence him before he got too far down this dangerous rabbit hole.

    [It doesn’t matter how they did it. It’s not getting undone] you told him when you removed your finger from his lips and had his proper attention again. You were careful in your words, you had promised not to lie to him, but he was treading dangerous waters.

    He raised an eyebrow. “You know something,” he accused. You flushed and wouldn’t look at him, but nodded. “And you wish for me not to investigate this too deeply,” he surmised. You nodded again, sheepishly. “Y/N, you know I dislike secrets...”

    You sighed heavily and nodded. You took his hand and led him across the hall to your room. He didn’t protest, but did yank you back from entering the room first so he could make sure it was clear for intruders. Overprotective husband. You picked up your tablet from your desk, thanked your foresight that you had remembered to throw it on the charger before you ran off to Asgard and started looking for the file you needed.

    [This secret is _dangerous_ ] you told Loki firmly before you would hand the tablet over. [Are you sure you want it? I can bear it alone] He silently held out his hand for the tablet. You handed it over and curled up on your bed while he read the documents. It took him awhile, but he finally made it through the whole thing and handed you the tablet back. You closed out of the document again and made sure it was hidden on the tablet and password protected. You didn’t want the others stumbling on it.

    “That secret is dangerous indeed. Darling, are you sure-?” you glared at him. He sighed. “Of course you are. Very well, I will keep the secret as well. The real reason I interrupted your shower was to drag you to breakfast. Clint said it was done,” he offered you a hand to help you off your bed.

    [Not hungry] you signed. He took your hand and hauled you to your feet anyway. Eating seemed like the least appealing thing to do at the moment. Your throat already hurt without trying to shove food down it.

    “Darling, you have to eat,” Loki protested and steered you firmly from the room, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and tucking you against his side before you could protest too heavily. “You’re Asgardian now, my darling wife. You will heal quickly, but you need to eat like us now,” he reminded you as he had done on numerous occasions already when you tried to continue eating like a human and not like the bottomless pits that were the Asgardians. You huffed in reply and let him steer you downstairs. He smiled warmly and kissed the top of your head.

    Nat handed you a giant milkshake when you entered the dining room and herded you to your chair. “Fury sent over the post-op instructions,” she explained to you and Loki. “And meds for that pain your failing at hiding.” Nat could be a mother hen when she felt like it and she liked you, so she sat you down with your giant super chocolate milkshake.

    “That cannot be a nutritious meal,” Loki protested. You stuck your tongue out at him and dug a spoon into your milkshake. Clint handed him a stack of pancakes so he would stop bothering you over your breakfast.

    Nat clapped her hands over your ears and spoke to Loki, pretending that you couldn’t hear her. “Don’t fret, mother hen,” she teased him. “It’s one of those nutrient shakes, we just doctored it up to make it taste better. They’re the best thing for throat surgery,” He inclined his head. You tilted your head back and stuck your tongue out at Nat. She laughed and let go of your ears. You happily devoured your milkshake. Loki still didn’t seem completely convinced that it was an appropriate breakfast, but you were eating, so he didn’t complain too much.

    After breakfast, you curled on your usual couch with your Loki, enjoying a normal quiet morning. Not many people were up yet. Tony came into the room with some cardboard boxes. “Kid, pack your things,” he told you firmly. You shot up from where you’d been reading, curled against Loki, horrified by his words. They were kicking you out? Just because you lost your powers?

    Loki was on his feet in an instant and on Tony an instant later, grabbing him by the throat. “Use your words, Reindeer Games,” Tony protested, fear in his voice at Loki’s rage. Nat and Clint stared.

    “I have plenty of words for you Stark,” Loki growled and lifted Tony, holding him against a wall off of his feet so he could barely breathe. “You are _not_ kicking Y/N out of her home just because she has lost her powers. She is my wife and-”

    “I’m not!” Tony protested, trying to pry Loki’s hand off his throat. “Romanoff, Kid, a little help!” He yelled around Loki’s hand on his throat. You weren’t helping him, not if he was kicking you out of the tower. You may have gotten a little bloodthirsty over your two years of torture.

    “Loki, kindly don’t kill the tinman,” Nat told him dryly. “He’s not kicking Y/N out of the tower. None of us are. This is her home,”

    Loki let Tony slide to the floor, but kept his hand around Tony’s throat, though loosened his grip so Tony could breath. “Speak quickly,” Loki snarled at him.

    “We’re turning Y/N’s room into an apartment for the two of you since you’re married, now,” Tony explained quickly, rattling off the words before Loki could strangle him again. “I need her to get the things out of there that she’ll need for a couple of days and bunk in your room so the sweaty workmen can do the work.” Loki let go of Tony and stepped back from him.

    “My apologies. That is... a kindness,” Loki finally said. You got up off the couch then and went over to them.

    [Thank you] you told Tony

    “It’s from all of us,” Clint protested. You smirked and thanked him and Nat too.

    Thor entered the room then and started to head straight for breakfast, but stopped at your group and grabbed Loki’s arm. “Hey, get off me witless oaf,” Loki growled at him. Thor slapped the piece of Stark-tech back on Loki’s wrist. He hadn’t had to wear that thing since you’d first moved into the tower. “What are you doing?”

    “I have to return to Asgard and tell Father what you two did. You two are to stay in the tower until I return,” he told you both firmly. Loki protested again, but Thor insisted that he was staying in the tower. This was going nowhere. You touched Loki’s arm and leaned up to kiss him.

    “Fine,” he huffed. “Though this is unnecessary,” he raised the wrist that now held the Stark-tech that limited his powers.

    “You two cause trouble left to your own devices. Which is why _I_ have to go smooth things over with Father. I’m want to make sure you two _stay_ out of trouble without proper supervision,”

    You gave him matching innocent looks. You weren’t going to cause trouble.

    For some reason he didn’t believe you.


	43. Chapter 43

    You had meant to stay out of trouble, really, you had.

    [How long will the workmen be here?] you asked Tony after Thor had left.

    “Two days,” he replied and handed you a box. You nodded and stood on your toes to kiss Loki’s cheek before you headed back upstairs to throw some clothes and stuff you didn’t want to get hurt by the workmen. There wasn’t a lot you needed for just a couple of days, so the task didn’t take very long. You grinned when you walked across the hall and saw that Loki had left one of his dresser drawers open and completely empty. He’d emptied it out for you. Thoughtful husband. You put the clothes away and set Lokibear safely on top of the dresser with the bear you’d given him, and then went to return to your activity of reading on the couch in the living room with your Loki.

    *

    “Kid, can you go help Bruce in the lab?” Tony asked later that afternoon. You looked up at him confused as you shut your book.

    [I know nothing about the lab] you reminded him.

    “Bruce will walk you through whatever it is he needs,” Tony added. You shrugged and shut your book, wondering what he was up to. You started to take Loki’s hand to bring him with you, but Tony and Cap wanted him to stay. Ah, that was probably whatever this was about. So you headed down to the lab to see what bullshit excuse Bruce had come up with for you being there.

    “Hey, Y/N,” Bruce said when he let you into the locked lab.

    [What’s going on?] you asked when you stepped inside.

    “Cap and Tony want us out of the way when the workers arrive,” he explained. “The Hulk doesn’t like intruders in his house and the press doesn’t know you’ve lost your powers so the team doesn’t want to take any chances with your safety. So you’re stuck down here with me until the main floor is clear of strangers,”

    You huffed and rolled your eyes. This seemed like awful planning. Bruce smiled. “I really could use a hand, though, if you’re up to it?” You nodded and dove into helping him with whatever experiment he was working on. It wasn’t bad work, but definitely not your cup of tea when you didn’t understand a thing that was going on.

    “Doctor Banner, Mr. Stark wished for me to inform you that the main floor of the tower is clear. The workers are currently working on Miss Y/N’s room,”

    “Thank you, Jarvis,” Bruce told the AI. He turned to you. “You’re free to go, Y/N,” he told you with a small smile. He had a soft spot for you since the Hulk liked you so much. You stuck your tongue out at him, but nodded and left the lab to get to more enjoyable activities. You thought kicking Loki’s ass at video games sounded much more enjoyable.

    “What did Doctor Banner need?” Loki asked too innocently when you returned to the living room.

    [Like you don’t know that we were chucked into the lab for safety] you told him. He gave you an innocent look.

    “My lady wounds me with her words,”

    “Drop the innocent act, loverboy, like you weren’t intimidating every worker who passed through here and pleased as all getout that Y/N was safely away from where they’d be,” Nat replied. You grinned at her and offered her a controller. “Thanks, but Clint and I have to go out for a little bit. Keep your husband from killing the workers, ok?” You nodded and passed Loki a controller so you could play video games with him.

    *

    You were already yawning your way through dinner and kissed Loki’s cheek once you had finished eating. [I’m for bed. Healing Asgardians are sleepy creatures] He chuckled and stood. [There is no way you’re tired] you reminded him, perfectly capable of walking to bed alone.

    “There are strangers in the tower. I’m walking you to bed,” he told you firmly. You huffed at your silly overprotective husband, but wouldn’t argue with him on this point. You’d been abducted from under his nose once for your powers. That threat was still very much at the front of his mind, even when you didn’t have your powers anymore. The public didn’t know that, so the bad guys wouldn’t know your powers were gone either.

    So you let him walk you back upstairs to his room. You didn’t really think anything of it, or the noises of the workers from your room, until one of them walked out of your room to get something from the supplies in the hall, stepping directly in front of the pair of you. Loki snarled, shoved you behind him and summoned two daggers all in one move.

    “Oh shit,” the worker said and did probably the smartest thing he would do and raised his hand in surrender, dropping whatever it was he had come out here for. “Mr. Loki,” he said too politely, but didn’t dare move further. The god was enraged by this man’s very presence. And Loki still saw him as a threat, specifically to your safety. You grabbed Loki’s arm, felt his muscles bunch to lunge at the man. You weren’t physically stronger than him and without your powers you couldn’t keep him from killing the man just for being a stranger and existing in your hallway. Shitshitshit. Nor could you call for help. He was too blinded by rage and fear for you to let you talk him down from it either.

    You wished more than anything that you were out of this hallway. You wrapped your arms firmly around Loki’s arm and planted your feet, drawing a second while you prayed for some inspiration on how to fix this. For some reason, you thought of Worthington the bear. He wasn’t useful here. But could magic be? No, that was ridiculous. You’d used magic _once_ and barely had an idea of how it worked. And yet. You needed to get Loki out of here.

    Now.

    So you concentrated, feeling for the same power that had summoned the bear and wished more than anything to be safely back down in the living room, imagining the living room in all it’s detail, and especially your couch. The air around you shimmered and you swayed, falling into Loki as he whirled to catch you. “Y/N!’ he exclaimed, dropping the daggers to hold you on your feet. You were in the living room standing in front of your couch.

    “What’s going on?” Cap demanded as he and the others rushed over. “You said you were taking her to bed,”

    Loki helped you sit on the couch. “Foolish love, that is way too big of a magic for someone just learning,” he told you, but his voice was kind and proud and he kissed you.

    You snapped to get Jarvis’ attention and signed quickly, letting Jarvis translate your words for the others. “A worker came out into the hall,” it was still strange hearing Jarvis speak your signs. “Loki nearly stabbed him, so I brought us back down here,”

    “Tattletale,” Loki told you warmly, and kissed your forehead. “Lie down, dearest. That was _way_ too large of a magic for just your second time using Asgardian magic.” You looked up at him stupidly. He sighed and laid you down on the couch before you fell over, dizzy and giddy from using magic. Power still seemed to shimmer around you and you fought not to giggle at the feeling. “Breathe,” he told you gently, kindly, you could hear the hint of amusement.

    “Of course, overprotective Asgardians,” Nat sighed. Apparently she had come home from whatever mission she had been on. “We’re dumb and should have known that with your wife injured and without her...original powers you’d be...antsy... about her safety.” The rest of the team agreed that they’d been dumb and looked relieved that all of the workers were still alive.

    “What’s wrong with the kid?” Tony asked instead of admitting that letting workers on the floor of the tower with the dangerous god and his wife was probably not the wisest decision ever.

    “She has gotten Asgardian magic since she became Asgardian,” Loki explained as he brushed your hair back away from your face. “And has used her powers all of once since we found out she has magic. Teleporting two people is a large spell, especially for a novice, and she is... high? is the proper term? from drawing too much power. She’ll be alright in a minute,” Loki explained. “Stop that,” he scolded you lightly when he caught you raising your hand to watch the power swirl as you moved your hand. His voice was amused, though.

    “Maybe we should come up with different sleeping arrangements until the workers are done with your apartment,” Cap suggested, looking to Tony. This was his tower and arrangements were his jurisdiction.

    Tony was pulling up a screen. “Wish we could just chuck you two into a hotel until the renovations were done,” he grumbled.

    “I see no problems with that,” Loki replied with a mischievous smirk.

    Tony scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Your brother grounded you, remember? So we have to put up with the angry god trying to kill the workers until he gets back from his pleasure jaunt to Asgard.” You all knew that Thor was working while he was gone and not at all enjoying his discussions with Odin.

    Nat scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Morons, the lot of you. Loki, just steal Thor’s room until the renovations are done. He’s off world and not using it and his room is two floors up from yours, so you won’t see the workers and they’ll have no access to that floor, so Y/N will be safe,”

    Loki smiled at her. “Excellent idea, Lady Natasha,” he told her warmly, earning a surprised look from everyone. He scooped you up into his arms. “Come on, love, you need to rest.” The air shimmered around you again and you reappeared in Thor’s room.

    [Thor won’t mind?] you asked, exhausted now that you were coming down from your high. Loki tucked you safely in Thor’s bed and it was a chore to keep your eyes open.

    “No, dearest, he won’t, not at all. Now get some rest, that was an awful lot of magic you used. I promise I won’t kill the workers as long as you are safe, my love,”

    You reached up and touched his cheek. /I love you/ you managed to tell him mind-to-mind, though you didn’t know how you knew how to do it.

    He smiled brightly, but with tears of joy in his eyes. He leaned down to kiss you and couldn’t keep the joy and excitement from his lips on your either. “I love you more than anything. Oh how I’ve missed your voice, my darling,” you smiled at his obvious and infectious joy. “But that is quite enough magic out of you today, dearest. I’ll start teaching you properly tomorrow.” He kissed your forehead and you finally closed your eyes to get some much needed rest.


	44. Chapter 44

    Loki wouldn’t let you go down to breakfast without him the next morning. He went so far as to drag you back into the bed with him when you looked too impatient to leave Thor’s room. You weren’t comfortable here and now that you were awake you _really_ wanted to get out of here before Thor got back and got mad at you for being in here in the first place.

    “He won’t mind us being in here. He wants us safe and happy, and prefers when I am not homicidal,” Loki reminded you again as he hauled you back into the bed with him. “ _I_ mind you trying to go out there alone when there are strangers here. You don’t have your powers or useful combat training. I’m not letting you get stolen from me again,” he reminded you as he pulled you closer and tucked you safely back in his arms against his side. It was such a hardship. Such a hardship indeed. You kissed his cheek and contented yourself in cuddling with him for awhile longer.

    [All my clothes are downstairs] you reminded him when you finally got out of bed. He kissed you and your clothes shimmered to jeans, a t-shirt with a picture of his helmet on it, and one of his hoodies. You were usually ok having your scars showing around the tower, even around town, especially with Loki at your side. You leaned up to kiss him in reply.

    “No trouble, my darling wife,” he replied. “It’s a simple spell, I’ll teach it to you after breakfast,” he told you warmly. You lit up in excitement and he chuckled and bopped your nose. “But you have to eat something more than a milkshake,” he told you teasing, but firm. You grinned and nodded and took his hand to lead him from the room. He laughed and went with you, closing Thor’s bedroom door behind you.

    You walked hand-in-hand with your Loki to the elevator and happily laid your head on his arm. He smiled warmly and kissed the top of your head. A perfectly content, happy Loki.

    Until the elevator doors opened, not on the main floor, but on your floor. Loki snarled and shoved you backwards behind him when one of the sweaty workment moved to get on the elevator. It was the same one who nearly died yesterday.

    “Why is it always me?” he asked himself as Loki drew two daggers out of thin air. The worker held up his hands, showing he was unarmed and took a step backwards. “I’ll catch the next elevator,” he told Loki.

    You moved quickly, stepping between Loki and the worker and smacked the daggers out of his hands, glad he taught you that little trick. You raised a finger at him glaring up at him, scolding him for scaring the nice worker. He glared right back and you smashed the close elevator button.

    [Stop trying to kill the workers] you signed at him quickly.

    “But-”

    [No buts. He didn’t do anything]

    Loki glared. “He threatened what’s mine,” he snarled, furstrated that you weren’t understanding.

    [He surrendered and backed away. Be reasonable, husband] Loki wrapped his arms around you and kissed the top of your head.

    “I worry over you, darling. It’s my right as your husband,” he reminded you.

    [Can you worry without killing innocent mortals?]

    He huffed. “I’ll try,” he conceeded. You kissed his cheek and stepped off the elevator when it opened again.

    Clint was making breakfast again this morning and Nat was looking over files on the dining room table. “Bout time you two got up,” Clint teased. “Tony was threatening to eat all of Loki’s french toast if you didn’t get up soon,” he added with a grin at Stark,

    “I did no such thing. Don’t get me defenestrated. Even I’m not dumb enough to come between Loki and his dessert for breakfast foods,” Tony grumbled. He was at the dining room table working on a piece of tech with a screwdriver. “Kid, can you keep your husband from throwing me out the window?” Tony asked you. You nodded and took Loki’s hand to haul him into the kitchen so you could both get breakfast.

    “You up to real food today?” Clint asked you as he handed Loki a plate piled with french toast. You nodded, suddenly starving now that you smelled food. Clint smiled and handed you a plate full of french toast too.

    You took your usual place at the dining room table and started to devour your breakfast happily. “Y/N, Fury sent over all your medical records when he sent over the after care instructions,” Nat said, flipping through the file in front of her. You recognized it now as the same document you had shown Loki earlier. You jumped up from you place, grabbed a dagger from one of the many sheaths Loki had hidden on his person and rounded the table, holding it in Nat’s face while you yanked the files out of her hands.

    “Whoa, Siren, what’s going on?” Stark demanded, standing from the table at your sudden, unusual behavior.

    You tossed the medical file to Loki and it suddenly burst into flames. “Put down the blade, Y/N. I’m not going to spill the secret,” Nat told you calmly. You glared at her. “I’m a spy, my job is secrets. I’m not dumb enough to spill this one.” You set the dagger on the table, then gestured at Tony. “Yes, I’m also not dumb enough to tell Stark the secret. He’s hopeless with them.”

    “Hey! I can keep a secret! Tell me the secret! I wanna know!” he whined. You glared at him, and then at Nat.

    “Your secret is safe, but you don’t have to bear it alone. You did tell Loki, right?” she asked. You nodded, still unhappy. People _weren’t_ supposed to know.

    [It’s dangerous] you reminded her.

    “I know. Fury wouldn’t have trusted me with it if he weren’t sure it was important. I won’t tell. Now go eat,” she scolded and shooed you back to your place at the table. You fretted over her safety for knowing the secret, but she was right. She could keep a secret.

    “Tellmetellme!” Tony was bothering her.

    “Can it, Stark. This secret can get us all killed, including Pepper. Just leave it alone,” Nat told him. He glared and pestered one more time, but finally gave up. For now.

    Loki started teaching you magic after breakfast, starting with the very useful clothes changing spell. After a couple successful attempts to use it and the other simple spells he taught you that morning, you curled up with him on the couch to take a nap. He promised again that your stamina would increase the more you practiced as he wrapped the couch blanket around you and let you settle in for a nap as he summoned a book to read and entertain himself while you napped off your use of magic. At least you weren’t high on magic this time.

    “After Thor comes back we’ll announce that she’s retired from the team due to losing her powers, and that she’s your wife. That should make her a lot safer,” Cap told Loki while you were dozing off.

    “Are you sure that will not just put a different target on her back?” Loki replied.

    “No one even not in their right mind wants to mess with you. Especially after what you did to those Hydra agents,” Tony replied dryly. “She’ll be safe, Reindeer Games,”

    *

    “Why are you two sleeping in my bed?” Thor asked a couple mornings later. Loki shot up and threw daggers before he realized who was in the room. Thor deflected them easily, and not at all surprised.

    “There are men working on our rooms,” Loki replied dryly. “It was safer for the pathetic mortals if my lady was not around them.” Loki kissed your cheek.

    “Father is letting the two of you stay on Midgard. Though he is pissed that he was tricked. He’s also going to be sending the ravens to spy, so I would highly recommend if your lack of powers are a trick that you be very careful in public,” Thor told you.

    [Not a trick] you replied. Thor rolled his eyes.

    “You have been spending too much time with my brother lady,” he told you, not believing you to be above trying to trick the Allfather. “So you can both stay, but Mother is requiring regular visits home. Including for her birthday next month,”

    You sighed in relief. While you had seen that Odin wouldn’t chase you to Midgard, you hadn’t quite believed it. Not until Thor reported it. Thor was a shit liar, especially about something this big. You wrapped you arms around Loki’s neck and kissed him well. Excited over the fact that you were free. You could be happy together.

    “If only it hadn’t cost your voice, love,” Loki told you, a sad edge to his tone, even though he was pleased with the ultimate outcome.

    /I would have given up more to save you. To save us/

    “I know, love. I am only sad you had to give up anything at all. I love you, my darling and hate that the Allfather hurt you,”

    /I love you too/


	45. Chapter 45

    Thor sighed heavily. “Come along, newlyweds. We have things to do,” Thor told you both, interrupting your moment. Oaf.

    “What things?” Loki asked as he reluctantly climbed out of the bed; you equally reluctantly followed him out of the bed. With a little concentration and magic, your clothes shimmered to jeans and a t-shirt.

    Thor’s eyes widened. “Brother-?” he asked, assuming it was Loki’s magic.

    Loki smirked and shook his head. He kissed the top of your head. “My darling wife has her own magic now that she is Asgardian,” he told Thor with pride in his voice. “And she is learning spectacularly,”

    “Great... just what we needed. Two troublesome magic users,” Thor sighed heavily, shaking his head in exasperation. “Brother, make sure you teach her well. It was a nightmare dealing with you when you were learning...”

    “I was a child!” Loki protested indignantly.

    “You used to turn my hair colors when you sneezed,” Thor reminded him dryly. “I was stuck with pink hair for a month when you had dragon pox,” he grumbled as he led you and Loki from the room. You couldn’t help laughing at the image of Thor with pink hair.

    Loki turned to you. “I’ll teach you to turn his hair colors later, darling. It’s much more fun to do it consciously,” Thor just sighed heavily and just continued on his way to the elevator.

    “You two are going to be the death of me,” Thor sighed.

    “Speaking of annoying the shit out of you, mind taking this stupid thing off?” Loki raised his wrist to indicate the restraining tech. “If you’d like me to be able to actually teach Y/N properly...” he added, hedging his bets that Thor would put everyone’s safety above his annoyance at his brother.

    “Stark will at breakfast,” Thor finally replied.

    Stark did take off the piece of tech from Loki’s wrist at breakfast while Cap droned on and on about the press conference. “Y/N, you should call your mom and Sammi before the press conference,” Cap added when he realized it was clear that you were only half paying attention to his lecture at best.

    [Why?] you demanded. You had no interest in talking to your mom, but Sammi was a different story.

    “Because your mom will want to hear that you went to Asgard, got married, returned from Asgard, and lost your powers from you and not from a press conference,” Cap reminded you. It was your turn to sigh heavily. You didn’t want to tell your mom about any of those things.

    [I’m 19 now?] you tried. Cap just gave you a look and you sighed harder. [Fine, I’ll call her] You kissed Loki’s cheek and grabbed on to the Jarvis screens to take into the living room to make your calls.

    “Y/N!” you mom exclaimed the second you video-called her. You waved at her in reply. “I haven’t heard from you in ages! How’s everything going?” she was too happy, too overprotective. She’d wanted you to come home after you’d been rescued from Hydra and you’d refused. You definitely weren’t changing your mind now.

    [A lot has happened...] you started and slowly began to tell her about recent events.

    Needless to say she wasn’t happy. “You come home this instant!” she demanded. “Nothing but trouble has come since you started living with those people!”

    [No!] you signed quickly, tears in your eyes. Loki saw your harsh movement and started to come over to support you. [I’m _happy_ here. I’m 19, mom, I chose to get married. I choose to live here. I’m not a kid anymore. You can’t force me to live there where I’d be miserable] you signed too quickly, but she seemed to still get the point.

    She glared. “Come home for a visit. Let me see you in person,” she finally said.

    [Mom...]

    “Don’t you ‘mom’ me, young lady. I’m your mother and I am allowed to worry about you,”

    [Fine. Tomorrow. And I’m bringing my husband] you told her firmly and ended the call. You looked over at Loki [Sorry] you told him.

    “Of course I’ll face your mother with you,” he promised and wrapped his arms around you. “She has no power over you anymore, darling,” he reminded you warmly. “Why don’t you call Sammi? She’ll cheer you up. And probably meet us tomorrow to face your mother with us,” he reminded you. You nodded and curled yourself in Loki’s arms to call Sammi

    “Hey Y/N, Loki!” Sammi greeted you both when she picked up the video call.

    “Lady Sammi,” Loki replied with a smirk while you waved. Sammi rolled her eyes at being called a lady.

    “Y/N, your boyfriend is weird,” Sammi informed you again, making you laugh.

    [Husband] you corrected and held up your ring.

    “You got married?! And didn’t tell me? And didn’t let me throw you a bachelorette party? How dare you!” Sammi exclaimed indignantly. You laughed and began to explain about all of the recent events. “Odin was going to imprison him. So you decided to go break him out?!? Dumbass! He’s a god!”

    “I told you, darling, that was not your brightest plan,” Loki told you warmly and kissed the top of your head. You leaned your head back to look up at him and stuck your tongue out at him.

    “Oi, newlyweds!” Stark called when you had finished your calls. You and Loki both looked over at him and he tossed something your way. Loki reached up a hand to catch whatever it was. “Your apartment’s done!” he told you as you looked over the keys in Loki’s hand.

    You grinned, signed a quick [Thank you] and took Loki’s hand to go check out your new living arrangements. He laughed and let you drag him along with you. When you stepped off the elevator on your floor, you saw that it was immediately different. The elevator opened onto a little entryway with a rack for shoes and coats and a door into the apartment proper. [Looks like he gave us the whole floor] you told Loki as you stepped forward to open the door.

    Inside was a huge three bedroom apartment with a full kitchen, dining room, and living room. “It appears you are correct, darling,” Loki replied, looking around your new space, touched. The entire apartment was furnished with state of the art everything and the master bedroom had all of your things, plus brand new furniture.

    [An apartment fit for a prince] you teased at the amazing space. One of the bedrooms was set up as a guest room, the other a library, you noted.

    “And his princess,” Loki told you warmly and kissed you.


	46. Chapter 46

    That evening you found yourself walking into the conference hall with your hand on Loki’s arm. You were wearing a knee length sleeveless dress that would fit much more with the after party than it did with the press conference you had to attend. You had a demure sweater over it for the press conference itself. Nat insisted it looked professional.

    You clutched onto Loki’s arm as he helped you climb up onto the stage. It wasn’t that you needed the help. He was just gallant like that. Just like last time, Cap made the announcements. You just had to look small, innocent, and at least relatively defenseless. Cap made a simple announcement that you were stepping down from active duty on the Avengers, that you were still a valued member of the team and always would be, but without your powers it was best if you stepped down. He also made sure to mention that you were married to Loki. He went on to discuss other goings on on the team and refused to answer any questions on how or why you lost your powers.

    You were relieved when you didn’t have to answer any questions and could get off the stage. You stayed close to Loki’s side, intimidated by appearing in front of that many people. Loki wasn’t pleased about announcing your lack of powers in front of all of these people either, though he was pleased you were announced as his wife. His claim was confirmed in front of the entire world and it gave you a large amount of safety. No one with any amount of sanity wanted to make Loki their enemy. Messing with his wife was the fastest way to make him their enemy.

    You danced with him at the party afterwards. You twirled with him across the dance floor, delight in your eyes. Your demure little sweater was long abandoned. Loki stayed by your side and you weren’t self conscious about your scars when he was with you. He loved you despite them and despite what had been done to you.

    *

    The next day you drove yourself and Loki to your mom’s house, dreading the trip the entire way. “She can’t do anything to you, love,” he reminded you multiple times on the short drive. You just sighed heavily in reply. You couldn’t sign while you drove. “You’re a princess, a lady of Asgard, a witch in training, of legal age on Midgard, and a member of the Avengers. You’re also my wife. There is nothing she can do to you. She cannot force you to live with her. She cannot force you to do anything you do not wish to. I know she means well for your safety, but she does not know what is best for you. Only you do,”

    You gave him a small smile and nodded. You soon pulled up in front of your mom’s house. You took a heavy breath before you would get out of the car. Loki didn’t pressure you to move faster either. You made your way up to the front door and grinned when Sammi came running out of the house. Everything would be ok with Sammi here as a buffer. She nearly tackled you with her hug and you held her too tightly. Too many things had happened since you saw her last.

    “Y/N, I’ve missed you!” she exclaimed. She spared Loki a glance. “Husband,” she greeted him with a smirk before she returned her attention to you. You grinned at how Sammi never changed, no matter what else had happened.

    “Lady Sammi,” Loki replied with a smirk, earning himself a tongue stuck out at him, which made you all laugh. Still laughing, the three of you made your way into the house and that single moment was absolutely perfect.

    Your mom was just inside the house waiting for you. Her glare of displeasure softened marginally when she saw how happy the three of you were, but she stiffened again. “I would speak to my daughter alone,” she tells your companions. You touched them both on the arm to reassure them and went to speak with your mom. “You went off and got married?” she demanded.

    You nodded. [I love Loki. I would have married him eventually regardless] you signed quickly. [We would have DIED] you snapped when she looked like she was going to argue. [Marrying the man I love wasn’t even a price to pay for our lives]

    “They were supposed to teach you to use your powers, not get you nearly killed,” your mom protested about the team in general.

    [They _did_ ] you protested [None of what happened was their fault and without their help I’d be on The Raft still or dead] you reminded her. She opened her mouth to protest more. [Mom, please. Please accept that I’m _happy_. I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I love Loki. I love the team. I don’t care that I don’t have my powers. They sucked anyway. I’m _happy_ , mom] you told her firmly.

    She wanted to argue more, but she had no leverage and she knew it. You weren’t the helpless 17 year old kid who had been taken from her anymore. You’d grown in the last two years. Torture does that. But more importantly, so does love. And you finally convinced her that you were happy with Loki, that the decisions you’d had to make had been difficult, but you were happy with how everything had turned out in the end. You’d never wanted your powers and you were glad to be rid of them. They’d caused you almost nothing but trouble.

    Your mom was definitely not one of the people you trusted with the secret of the procedure. It would kill her to know and she couldn’t handle keeping the secret.

    *

    Things went back to normal at the tower, at least as normal as life with the Avengers ever got. You got your GED, refusing to go back to high school, and got a job at Stark Industries, starting as a lowly assistant, a grunt to whoever needed help. You didn’t care. It was good work and paid decently. Also, it was Stark Industries, so your scars and signing were just accepted as a point of fact.

    Loki continued his work with the Avengers. It hurt when missions kept him away overnight, but you loved every moment you got to spend with him.

    You made trips back to Asgard once things had calmed down. Odin was displeased with you both, but he was always displeased with Loki. Frigga was glad to see you and said in whispers how proud she was that you’d both gotten free from Odin’s orders. She said she was sad your powers were gone, but she quietly helped Loki teach you to use your new magic.

    Your powers grew as you worked and studied. You’d never be as strong as Loki, but you had enough power for everyday things, and that was plenty for you.

    The secret you held always stayed in the back of your mind, though. You knew it was dangerous, but you couldn’t just forget about it either. You prayed that it would never come to light.

    As per usual, your prayers went unanswered.


	47. Chapter 47

    A few years passed in relative peace. Things were never really peaceful around the Avenger’s tower; there were always monsters, aliens, and hydra causing trouble, but it was as peaceful as the tower got. More members joined over the years and the population of the tower increased, but it still felt like home.

    You rose in the ranks at Stark Industries and loved working with Pepper. It took awhile, but you earned your place there. You’d gotten the lowly entry level position because of Tony, but rose through the ranks on your own skills and abilities, which made you immensely proud.

    Your mom still didn’t understand or accept your decisions, but she at least seemed to understand you had a good job, your husband treated you like a princess (which you were), and you were happy. So she let you be with only mild displeasure at how you’d gotten to that point.

    Sammi visited all the time and was as usual the best friend you could ask for.

    It was hard when Loki was gone for missions and you never got to see him as often as you liked, but you enjoyed every moment you got to spend with him. He was always busy with the Avengers, his skills were a great help on pretty much every mission, so they kept dragging him out with them.

    The return trips to Asgard got easier over the years. Mama Frigga loved you and she and Thor’s friends learned how to sign so they could talk with you. They’d done it as a surprise and it had delighted you when you found out. Thor’s friends were silly and rambunctious, but they were decent company and liked you for bringing Loki out of his shell. Mama Frigga loved you because Loki was so happy with you, and then for yourself as she got to know you better.

    *

    “Pack a bag, darling. We’re going on a trip. We both have the next week off, I already took care of the arrangements,” he told you.

    [Where are we going?] you asked him, excited for the adventure and for getting to spend the entire week with your husband without interruption.

    He just grinned mischievously at you. “Pack for warm weather,” he told you instead of answering your actual question. You stuck your tongue out at him, but did as you were told and packed a bag for a week, including a variety of clothes, since you never quite knew what the Trickster was going to be up to. Your bag was packed quickly and you hefted it to carry it downstairs, but Loki took it from you and vanished it. You smirked at him and stuck your tongue out, but leaned up to kiss his cheek.

    “You’re welcome, darling,” he replied warmly and kissed the top of your head. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders and led you downstairs. The team wished you well, told you to have fun, and promised not to call for Loki’s help unless the situation was dire.

    There was a short car ride to the airport, then a harrowing adventure through security, during which Loki growled that you should have stolen one of SHIELD’s jets. You were questioned over your scars until you pulled out your Avengers ID and the TSA finally remembered who you were and poor Loki was given the third degree, but you finally made it through and no one was stabbed in the process.

    You dozed on Loki through the flight and he kissed the top of your head, not seeming to mind at all, and guarding you while you dozed. The flight was long and the weather was warm when you finally got off the plane. Loki had been right. He drove the rental car to the super fancy hotel, which was surrounded by a gorgeous beach.

    You spent days playing with him on the beach, enjoying the relaxation of time in the sun, though you kept your Frost Giant in as much shade as possible so he didn’t melt. You toured museums and historical places and found indoor air conditioned things to mix in to your wonderful vacation. Loki was actually interested in Midgard’s history and you kept finding fun little things for him to do. He loved the circus museum and spent hours there learning as much as he could about the circus since they didn’t have them on Asgard.

    You were following a school group through the aquarium, oohing over all of exotic fish. Loki kept an arm around you, even as he investigated all of the fish and underwater creatures. He still didn’t like you being in crowds and didn’t trust the mortals. You were too noticeable with your scars and in his company.

    He was enraptured with the otters and you spent a long time watching them swim around their tank. He was equally enraptured with the dolphin show and absolutely adored them.

    It was going wonderfully until Loki shoved you away from him hard. You crashed to the floor moments before the guns and tasers went off. Loki took the full blunt of them himself and even with all of his enhanced strength and speed, for all that he was a god, he was still just one man and his focus had been on saving you. He went down hard, bleeding and electricity running through his body. You used your magic to remove the tasers from him as you made your way to his side, but he wouldn’t recover fast enough, not when the men in black battle gear and guns were coming out of the crowd to face you down.

    There was no choice.

    Your magic wasn’t strong enough to save you both.

    It wasn’t even strong enough to save yourself

    Hell, it wasn’t strong enough to save Loki either

    You didn’t know who these men were, or what they wanted, but they had hurt your Loki and they wanted to hurt you, or worse.

    It was time.

    There was no choice.

    No choice.

    The men were approaching.

    You had to move fast

    You had to make the choice now

    Though there was no choice to make.

    It had to be now.

    You prayed you would be forgiven for what you had to do.

    The crowd of innocents fled and you thanked every deity that could possibly listen that they were safe.

    Loki’s wounds were already beginning to heal. He’d be fine, just not in time. He would forgive you at least. He would know it was necessary, and he would stand by you and your decision.

    Such as it was.

    You moved so you were kneeling next to him so his head was in your lap.

    You pulled a small vial from your dimensional pocket, a trick Loki had taught you shortly after you’d gotten your powers. You unstoppered it and downed the contents, shuddering as the potion went through you.

    You placed your hands over Loki’s ears, shielding him with magic.

    It was time for the secret you’d held onto for years.

    Plan Z was reversible.

    It had been equal parts surgery and magic which had stripped your abilities, and one small vial of potion could reverse it in a true emergency. There was no guarantee they could strip your powers again, at least not and have it be able to be reversed like this again.

    You looked up at the men surrounding you with fire in your eyes, sucked in a breath, opened your mouth, and screamed as you hadn’t done in years. The men dropped to the floor, their ears bleeding. None of them had expected your powers and hadn’t prepared for them. They believed correctly that you had been silenced.

    They should have known that Fury wouldn’t have a plan without a failsafe.

    Loki stirred and you leaned down to kiss his forehead. He would heal and would be fine, green magic was already surrounding him, healing the gunshot wounds when he saw the bodies on the ground around you and realized the danger was over. You removed your hands from his ears. He was safe now.

    He sat up slowly, still recovering. “Are you alright?” he demanded. You nodded quickly and gestured to the bodies around you. He nodded and relaxed. The enemy was defeated. You were both safe.

    You gave him a small smile and leaned up close enough that your lips brushed his ear. “I love you,” you whispered to him, your lips did brush his ear, and your breath was warm against his cool skin and you saw him shiver.

    You sat back in time to see his eyes light up with shocked delight and he pulled you into a bone crushing hug. “I love you as well, my darling,” he told you warmly, his voice full of excitement and love, and the longing of something he hadn’t been willing to hurt you by admitting that he had missed so dearly. “Oh how I’ve missed your voice, my love. Telepathy just isn’t the same.” You squeezed him tighter, understanding what he meant. Telepathy wasn’t the same as hearing his real voice either, and you didn’t have to go years without hearing it.

    You both whirled at the caw behind you and stared in horror at the raven watching the pair of you.

    You knew it had seen what you just did.

    You watched helplessly as it flew away and disappeared after a couple wingbeats to go report to the Allfather.

    “We’ll be alright, darling,” Loki reassured you. “No matter what happens with the Allfather, we’ll face it together.

    “Together,” you agreed in a whisper in his ear.

    No matter what happened next, you would face it and come through it together.

 

 

THE END....for now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there's interest a sequel might come after a short hiatus


End file.
